Harry Potter and the Cult of Shadows
by chadsgirl824
Summary: AFTER HOGWARTS   Harry now works at Hogwarts and has his hands full as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor.  But Voldemort's fate is still a mystery and dark forces are closer than anyone imagines.  Written before OotP
1. Chapter 1

**This fanfic, as with all of the HP stories I've done, was written before OoTP was first published. It's the fourth part of the series of fanfics I wrote from my version of Harry's fifth year until the year after he graduated from Hogwarts. It's not a stand-alone type of fic, you will need to have read the other three to understand this one at all.**

"Enough! Call them back now!" Snape's impatient voice rang out.

"Sorry…sorry…" Harry mumbled, feeling rather unintelligent at the moment. He glanced around at the haze of the fourteen psionic crystals surrounding him and called them back into gem form. Letting out a long breath, he directed the stones towards their large, oak trunk, which was laying open just a few feet to his right, and placed them gently inside.

"You have to listen less to them and more to me if you ever want to learn anything," Snape continued, clearly annoyed, as he stalked across the room and gazed out the window at the brilliant midday sunshine, his greasy hair partially hanging in his eyes. Harry nodded silently, remaining beside the trunk, and looking down upon the crystals that were the source of his grief on this particular day. As it was, the mere thought of the crystals was enough to cause Harry's head to ache, ever since he'd begun his lessons with Snape.

It was the middle of July, and Harry had been living with Sirius and Marzia, for one month now. Every week for that month, Snape would come by for several hours, to go over all of the training Harry had never been given for using the crystals. Sirius and Marzia would usually leave for the duration of the lesson, so as not to cause any distraction for either Harry or Snape.

"I can't understand it," Harry said at last with the faintest of shrugs, though Snape still refused to turn around and face him. "When I used all of the stones a few months ago, they did what I wanted…exactly what I wanted…"

"That is because your life was at stake," Snape spoke evenly, his tone very still. "The crystals are a part of you, and if you were to die, then they would as well. I can guarantee you they don't want that to happen."

"I thought they would just be passed on to the next Psion…when he's born, I mean…" Harry said quietly.

"They would indeed," Snape replied, spinning abruptly away from the window and crossing stiffly back to where Harry stood by the trunk. "That, however, has no bearing on you needing to learn to use them now" he spoke, icily.

"I…I know, I'm sor-" Harry stammered.

"Alright, enough," Snape interrupted curtly, "If you think you're ready to pay attention to what I have to say you can call them back. We're wasting time."

"Right…sorry," Harry mumbled, turning quickly and looking down at the crystals once more. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the nervous, school-boy feeling he'd always had around Professor Snape, despite the fact that he was no longer even a student of his anymore. What was making it worse now, was these lessons were one-on-one; there were no other students to distract Snape this time. Harry had finished his seven years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and while his time there had been the most wonderful of his entire life, it had not been without heartache…or tragedy.

His last year there had been the worst in that he'd lost two people that he'd loved dearly, and a fellow student whom he considered to be a very close friend. All three had died for him. While the easiest choice had been to let grief consume him and wallow away until he knew nothing more than self-pity and sorrow, Harry could never let that happen. With the help and support of his friends, who he considered his closest family, they'd all been able to make a start at continuing on with their lives. Not one of them wanted to forget the past, but they weren't going to take it with them into the future.

The year hadn't been entirely horrible, however, and perhaps the best thing that had happened to him, was meeting Mel Tristen. She was someone he'd barely known during all of his years at school, but at this very moment he couldn't so much as imagine his life without her.

"Mr. Potter," Snape's voice cut through his thoughts sharply, "do you think it would be possible to drag this out even longer than you already have?"

"Sorry," Harry muttered for what he was sure must be at least the hundredth time today, as the faint smile that had appeared on his face faltered, and he turned his attention back to the stones. Sighing inaudibly, he relaxed his stance as best he could, before opening his mind to the stones, and calling out to them.

A sense of warmth swept through his entire being, as the crystals' haze surrounded Harry immediately, filling him with their energy. For a brief moment, there was blissful silence, and he lifted his gaze to meet Snape's, awaiting his instructions, but before his former professor could even begin to speak, a torrent of voices filled Harry's head.

Why is he here still?

Yes, let's ask him to leave.

Ask him? This is our house! Let's just make him leave!

Stop, we need this!

No we don't, we can handle ourselves just fine.

That doesn't mean it will always be that way.

Don't make him leave then, let's just tell him we're feeling ill and need to rest.

He's not dumb, he won't fall for that!

Will all of you just shut up! Harry screamed at last, his hands pressed tightly to the sides of his head as the flood of voices finally calmed down a notch. Why are you all doing this? he asked quickly, before they could start up again.

We don't need him.

Harry recognized the voice instantly. The resolve crystal, never one to remain quiet when there was an opinion to be expressed. What bothered Harry most, however, was he knew the crystals could only express what he was feeling, no matter how deeply it may be buried inside of him, and he couldn't seem to control it when he had possession of the stones.

We do need him, he replied forcefully. How else will we learn how to work together? It's been a month and I've learned less with Snape than I did when I thought Cole was helping me…

Look at what happened the last time Snape helped us…Voldemort escaped.

That wasn't his fault! Harry replied curtly. And we don't even know that Voldemort got away…no one in the great hall saw him…alive or dead.

"Mr. Potter will you kindly answer me this instant!" Snape's voice screamed at him suddenly and Harry's attention was jolted away from the crystals.

"I'm sorry Professor Snape…I can barely hear you…" Harry shrugged helplessly, truly at a loss for why the crystals were behaving in such a way. It had been so easy to use them just a few short months ago, and now it was similar to what Harry imagined pulling teeth to be like.

"That's because you haven't listened to a word I've said," Snape snapped.

Harry set his jaw against the reply that was threatening to roll off his tongue. How could he be expected to listen if he couldn't bloody well hear anything? The crystals grew far too loud any time Snape tried to get a word in instruction-wise.

"I'm not trying to make this hard…" Harry began, evenly.

"Well you certainly could have fooled me," Snape hissed, crossing his long arms over his chest. Even outside of school the Hogwarts' potion master just loved to wear black, it seemed. Harry couldn't remember ever seeing him in another color, and today was no exception. His long, dark robes hung close to him, all the way down to the lowest part of his ankles. Harry, himself didn't wear robes unless the occasion called for it, preferring what most wizards would refer to as muggle clothes. Robes were, in his opinion, to be worn for formal occasions.

"Then maybe it would be best if you started wearing them at our little meetings," Snape said, a sneering grin touching the corners of his lips. "Perhaps then you'll pay attention if you think of yourself as somewhat more…professional." Harry looked up at the potions master awkwardly, hating the fact that Snape would keep catching one or two random stray thoughts. The powers they'd both been born with allowed them to communicate without speaking when Harry had some hold over the crystals, but he had yet to master control of that either. Something which, again, had seemed so easy only a few short months ago.

Harry opened his mouth, to apologize yet again, when suddenly there was a short knock on the front door, just before whoever was on the opposite side turned the handle and began to push it open.

"Ron," Harry smiled as he saw his friend come fully into the room, followed closely by someone else he was quite happy to see. "Hermione, is it after five already?" he asked, pulling his pocket watch out and glancing at the time.

Both Ron and Hermione smiled warmly at Harry, before catching the stern grimace on Snape's face, and becoming hesitant.

"If we're interrupting…" Hermione began.

"You don't have to leave, Miss Granger," Snape began speaking, his tone very stiff. "I've already been here longer than I intended to." He turned his gaze away then, and stalked across the room to where his coat lay across one of the soft chairs, before snatching it up roughly and heading for the door. Ron and Hermione stepped aside silently, allowing Snape to pass by, and he did so without so much as a nod to either of them.

"Can anyone tell me why that man is dressed in black and carrying a coat in the middle of July?" Ron asked the moment Snape was out of earshot. "It only adds to my point that he's a loony…"

Harry smiled widely at his friend; at least his night wouldn't have to be as gloomy as his day.

"Tough lesson?" Hermione asked as she gently shut the door, which Snape hadn't bothered to close on his way out.

"Oh…don't even ask," Harry groaned, as he narrowed his eyes at the haze of crystals around him, before shaking his head and calling them back once again into gem form. "I really don't want to talk about the crystals…or Snape," he added as he turned back to his friends.

"I'm definitely fine with not talking about Snape," Ron said quickly, as he and Hermione made their way fully into the house and over to the circle of chairs in the spacious den.

"So c'mon then," Harry started in immediately, a sly grin touching his lips, "out with it Ron…how'd the meeting go?"

Ron's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas as he smiled widely back at Harry.

"Fantastic!" he exclaimed happily, truly beaming from ear to ear. "Mr. Fienman asked me if I'd be interested in coming back next week…so he can see what I can do."

"That's wonderful Ron!" Harry exclaimed, feeling excited for his friend.

"I wouldn't even have had this opportunity if it weren't for you, Harry," Ron said, turning suddenly serious. "Thank you."

"Don't even mention it," Harry said with a casual wave of his hand.

"No, I have to," Ron pressed on, smiling. "I mean, I knew you'd be getting offers from all different quidditch teams…they'd be blind not to have realized your talent…but you didn't have to tell them about me, and you did…it's because of you that Mr. Fienman let me speak with him in the first place." he finished, the large smile never leaving his face.

"It was your talent that got you that interview Ron," Harry said quickly. "I just happened to overhear that the keeper for the Montrose Magpies was not going to renew his contract…so I mentioned your name."

"Well I wanted to thank you for doing so," Ron said, making a funny face at Harry.

"And I," Hermione spoke up loudly, to assure she'd be heard, "want to thank you as well."

"For what?" Harry asked curiously, seeing the sly grin on her face.

"For not mentioning his name to anyone on the Chudley Cannons," she whispered, leaning towards Harry and cupping her hand around her mouth as she spoke.

"Hey!" Ron spoke up, feigning insult. "I'll have you know the Cannons are going to do spectacular this season…you should see their lineup!"

"Which thankfully you're not a part of," Hermione joked. "Besides, your hair would just clash horribly with those orange robes they wear…" she trailed off, smiling angelically.

"Uh-oh…what will you do when you have to go up against them Ron?" Harry asked, pretending to be on the edge of his seat in anticipation for the reply.

"Well," Ron began, looking quite serious. "The Cannons have gone this long without making it to the finals…I'm sure they'll be thrilled to have second place…" he trailed off, unable to keep his smile hidden.

Harry just shook his head, laughing quietly. Ron was so excited he could feel it just by being in the room with him, and while Hermione liked to give her boyfriend a hard time, Harry could tell she was just as happy for him as he was. This would be so much better for him than being forced to take a ministry position that he didn't want, and would be miserable in.

"Well alright then," Ron said suddenly, his bright eyes meeting Harry's gaze. "Your turn…how many offers have come in for you?"

"Ron," Harry laughed, "I haven't had many offers, the managers can't just drop their current seekers, whether they want to or not. They've all got contracts…"

"Yes but in professional quidditch there are always stand-ins," Ron replied quickly, "and if you prove yourself better than their current lead seeker they could still keep him or her on the team, and move you into the lead spot."

"No, I realize that," Harry said with a shrug. "And to be honest I have gotten letters asking that I come to at least show certain managers how I play…" he trailed off, hesitating for a brief moment before continuing, "and one offer to start off as lead seeker with no interview or anything."

"That's so wicked!" Ron exclaimed excitedly, smiling widely. "Who for?"

"Well, see…that's the thing," Harry replied. "It's for the Falmouth Falcons."

"Oh that's rotten luck," Ron replied, his expression falling.

"I don't see why they would've asked you, though," Hermione mused, "they have a reputation for being the dirtiest team in the league…and every game you've ever played shows just the opposite."

"Yes but look at Harry's record," Ron added. "The only game he's ever lost was due to interference on the part of the dementors…" he trailed off, as the mere mention of the word brought back thoughts of their confrontation several months ago. For a few moments, the room was blanketed in an awkward silence, no one sure what to say, until finally Hermione cleared her throat softly.

"Did you see the article…in the Daily Prophet?" she inquired, looking up at Harry.

"If you mean the one about Azkaban," Harry began darkly, narrowing his eyes, "and the rather unconvincing story about the prison being back under control, then yes I've seen it."

"How could they bring the dementors back there?" Ron asked aloud, to no one in particular.

"Because they don't know what else to do," Hermione replied with a worried sigh. "The ministry has been in shambles ever since they've started trying to get things back in order…and we still don't have a Minister of Magic heading things up again."

"I wonder what's taking so long for that," Harry spoke up. "I mean, it's not that I want them to rush it or anything, but with all the time they've had since Fudge…left…I would think they'd at least have had a possible candidate or two."

"Just as long as it's not that horrid Mr. Thurston," Ron said in disgust. "Even Percy doesn't like him anymore."

"Oh…how is Percy, by the way?" Harry asked, not having heard much about him for a while.

"He's getting on alright," Ron replied with a small grin. "It was very hard for him to understand exactly what happened to him…and what he did…" he trailed off, instinctively rubbing at his neck. Harry cringed inwardly, knowing that Ron was remembering back to Halloween the year before, the night Percy had nearly killed him.

"He doesn't have any recollection of what happened?" Harry asked, gently.

"None at all," Ron replied flatly, dropping his hand down to his knee and straightening in his seat. "Which is probably best…I know he never would've done that if he'd had any control over himself…" he trailed off again, seeming a bit distant. Hermione reached over gently and took one of his hands in hers, a reassuring smile on her face, which he returned gratefully. Harry couldn't help but think of Mel as he watched his two friends, clearly in love with one another, as they sat side by side in his living room. He'd be going to see her in just a few days time, and finally he'd be able to meet Jack, the thought of which always made him feel somewhat nervous. He knew how close Mel was to her brother, and Harry could only hope he didn't make a fool of himself during his visit. He was drawn out of these thoughts however, when Ron sighed loudly.

"Anyway, mum is back to her usual self around Percy now…stopped pampering him, waiting on him hand and foot…" he trailed off, laughing faintly at the thought.

"Is he going back to the ministry?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Yes," Ron nodded, "But not back to his old position…he's going to work in dad's division now, for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts."

"Good," Harry replied, relieved to hear Percy would be alright. Standing up slowly, he began walking towards the kitchen, while looking over his shoulder and calling to his friends. "Did either of you want a drink or something?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Hermione replied.

"Same here," Ron added. "Thanks."

Harry nodded, moving easily through the kitchen and fixing himself a glass of ice water, before heading back into the living room and returning to his seat.

"So, Hermione," he began after a moment, "Have you decided what it is you're going to study?"

"Not yet, no," Hermione replied with a small grin. "But when I spoke to the headmaster there, Professor Oakland, he said that the first year attending it's very common to see many students try out several different courses…and make their decisions that way.

"Which means for Hermione she'll be in about her third year before she's close to making a decision," Ron spoke up, a wry smile on his face. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him warningly, but he continued anyway. "You should've seen it Harry…she was looking at the course selection and circling the ones she was interested in…the only one she left out was divination…ow!" he stopped suddenly as Hermione punched him in the arm. "See what I have to put up with? The abuse, I tell you…" he trailed off, feigning injury as he rubbed the spot where she'd hit him.

"Oh stop being such a baby," she admonished him with a large grin on her face. Harry simply sat back and laughed silently at the two of them. "I can't help it if a lot of the courses interest me…"

"All of them," Ron cut in quickly, but shutting his mouth again as she gave him a pointed stare.

"Most all of them," she continued, "but I'm sure I'll be able to make a decision by the end of the first year."

"I'm sure you will be," Harry agreed, nodding. "Will you be staying with your parents while you attend? I know they don't live nearby…but now that you can apparate and all…"

"Well it seems that it's very common for schools to have a protection against apparating," Hermione explained, "so no I wouldn't be able to get there that way."

"Do they have dorms, then?"

"Yes," Hermione replied, "but they prefer to leave those open for students that have to come here from overseas…so we'll probably be getting an apartment nearby…"

Harry started to nod and say how great that sounded, when her exact words replayed through his head, and his eyes widened.

"We?" he asked, an excited grin starting to spread across his face.

Hermione and Ron looked into each other's eyes, before turning back to face Harry.

"We," Ron repeated, happily. "If I do end up getting this quidditch position, that is…"

"That's fantastic!" Harry cried, truly beaming at his friends.

"And you're the first person we're having over when we move in," Hermione said, smiling broadly.

"You bet I am," Harry demanded playfully and the three friends laughed cheerfully. It was in the middle of this moment, that the fireplace suddenly burst forth in a flourish of green flames.

Harry looked up and smiled as Sirius and Marzia stepped through the small blaze, and into the living room.

"Hello Harry," Sirius said immediately, seeing his godson seated comfortably in front of him. "Ron, Hermione," he continued, nodding his greeting to them both. "I see the greasy one has left…thankfully."

"Sirius," Marzia began in a warning tone, "Do you think maybe you could at least try to act like you're not in school with Severus any longer?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Sirius remarked playfully, before turning away and winking at the others.

"I'm glad you're back," Harry said happily as both Sirius and Marzia lowered themselves into the couch across from Ron and Hermione.

"So am I," Sirius commented, "and guess who we ran into while we were out…again."

"Not Mr. Rankaph again?" Harry asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I swear that man is staking out our house," Marzia said with a laugh. "He seems to run into one of us each time we're out."

"What did he say this time?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.

"The usual," Sirius replied, "he wanted to know if you were considering his offer…they are apparently in dire need of a seeker for the upcoming season…"

"I gathered as much," Harry said with a small grin. "If only it weren't for the Falcons…"

"Don't let him push you into it Harry," Marzia said softly. "If you tell Mr. Rankaph no, then you tell him no. Don't be afraid to do it if it's what you want."

"Oh I know," Harry nodded quickly, thinking of the very tall, bald manager of the Falcons. He was a very intimidating man with dark brown eyes and a firm jaw. Every time Harry saw him, he was reminded of movies he used to see, where there was always some military general that despised everyone else, and wanted things his way. "I have some time still," he continued with a grin, "and I don't want to ignore the other managers' requests to see me play either."

"Good idea," Sirius commented happily before lifting his arms over his head and giving a great stretch, and turning his head towards his fiancé. "What's for dinner?" he asked, giving Marzia a lopsided grin.

"I swear Sirius Darian Black," she began, trying to look angry but her eyes were smiling, "if you start treating me like your maid…"

"No, no that's not it at all," Sirius stated quickly, slipping one of his arms around her back and pulling her towards him. "I only mean…you cook such wonderful meals, nothing could possibly compare to the luscious, juicy, delectable, mouth-watering…"

"Oh enough already," Marzia laughed, rolling her eyes and starting to stand. "Just believe me when I say you're getting cooking lessons right soon…"

"I'll be glad to help you," Hermione said, jumping up from her seat beside Ron. Marzia smiled at her warmly, and the two made their way out to the kitchen while Sirius, Harry and Ron remained in the living room, and Ron began to tell his story once more, of his chance to play for the Magpies.

The five of them shared a pleasant dinner together, chatting and laughing happily throughout. But as the hour grew late, the evening grew to a close. Ron and Hermione thanked everyone for having them over, promising to visit again soon, before apparating away to their homes. Harry was feeling quite tired from the long day as it was, and decided to turn in early. Saying goodnight to both Sirius and Marzia, he drew out his wand and lifted the trunk of crystals, which was still in the living room, before directing them upstairs, and heading for his bedroom.

Several days passed by, and Harry had made no final decision regarding his future in quidditch. He'd sent owls back to the managers that had written to him, expressing his interest in meeting with them, and was awaiting the replies.

Soon enough, however, the day that Harry was invited to Mel's house came, and he woke early, to get ready for the visit. He dressed quietly, taking care to make sure his clothes weren't wrinkled. He was glad to not have to worry about wearing robes, as Jack would not be one to wear them either. Checking his hair in the mirror just next to his closet, he tried to flatten it down, but as always, it very much refused to do anything other than stick out at awkward angles. His eyes held for a brief moment as he glimpsed the scar that had been on his reflection for as long as he could remember, before turning and leaving the room.

Creeping silently through the upstairs corridor, Harry tip-toed past Sirius and Marzia's bedroom, where he could hear his godfather's soft snoring, before descending the stairs. He started immediately for the kitchen, but stopped as he heard voices.

Moving a bit slower, Harry crept forward, peeking around the corner just enough to glance into the room.

"It's alright, Mr. Potter," a very familiar voice floated out to him. "Please, come join us."

Harry smiled as he recognized Dumbledore's kind voice, and stepped fully into the kitchen to see he and Marzia sitting across from one another at the table.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry smiled as he walked up to the Hogwarts headmaster. "I didn't know you were coming here today…"

"I hadn't planned on it originally," Dumbledore replied lightly, "but things don't always happen as we plan them to…"

Harry nodded, not sure exactly what the professor meant by that, but didn't make any reply.

"Well, I'll just head back upstairs," Marzia said, excusing herself from the table. "It was good to see you again Albus,"

"Likewise," Dumbledore nodded pleasantly, "Give Sirius my regards…judging by the sound of his snoring, I very much doubt I will get a chance to see him this visit."

"I'd say that's a very good assumption," Marzia laughed quietly, before turning to look at Harry. "Have fun at Mel's today, Harry, and make sure to lock up when you leave."

"I will," Harry nodded absently, now very curious as to why Dumbledore had paid them such an early visit, and why Marzia and Sirius were not going to be included in the discussion.

Harry waited until he heard the door upstairs close behind Marzia, before looking towards Dumbledore.

"Was there something you wanted to tell me professor?" he inquired.

"Yes, several things, actually," Dumbledore replied, nodding. "To start, however, you there's no need for you to call me professor any longer, Harry. You can call me Albus."

Harry let out a small laugh, thinking he'd never be able to get used to calling Dumbledore by his first name, but nodded faintly, and waited for him to continue.

"Now," Dumbledore went on, "tell me…how much do you know about the current state of the Ministry of Magic?"

"Just what I read in the Daily Prophet," Harry replied. "Though it doesn't seem that they're accomplishing as much as they could if they'd just get themselves in order."

Dumbledore smirked slightly, before continuing.

"And Azkaban? What have you heard?"

"Again," Harry replied, "Just what I've read. I know the dementors are back, but I can't understand why. I can just guess who authorized that to happen though…" he trailed off.

"Yes, it doesn't seem the best decision, I agree," Dumbledore stated evenly. "However, the ministry is under a great deal of pressure. Azkaban was all but emptied of the criminals it held, and the general public has been clamoring for their recapture. The dementors were reinstated several months ago under Mr. Thurston's authorization."

"But we know they can't be trusted!" Harry said, earnestly. "They'll go back to Voldemort if there's the slightest chance he can gain back any of his power…if he even needs to…we have no idea what happened to him!"

"I'm in complete agreement with you, Harry," Dumbledore stated firmly. "Though it was not my decision to make."

Harry sighed inaudibly, and nodded faintly. He knew Dumbledore was on his side, but he couldn't help but feel a bit upset over the ministry attempting to put things back exactly the way they were…instead of trying to fix the problems that came from the original state of things.

"Do you think Voldemort is still alive, professor…A-Albus?" Harry asked, hesitantly.

"I do," Dumbledore replied, gravely. "From what you have told me, I can't see any reason that he would be dead…unless you can remember more about your experience…within his mind."

"No, I've told you all I can remember," Harry shook his head slowly. "And I think you're right…there's no way he could have been killed. Though he must be weak, right? Otherwise the dementors never would have returned to Azkaban…"

"I think our safest bet, at this point," Dumbledore began, "is to make no exceptions whatsoever when it comes to Voldemort. He may be weak…or he may not be. But until we have solid proof of one or the other, make sure to stay on your guard, at all times."

Harry nodded, feeling the slightest twinge of worry in his stomach, which he hadn't felt in a long while when it came to Voldemort. But Dumbledore's words ran through him like ice, and he knew they were true. Voldemort could simply be biding his time…

"Please, forgive me," Dumbledore's voice spoke up suddenly and Harry looked up to see an apologetic smile on his former headmaster's face. "I've led this discussion astray, and I'm sure you want to get on with your plans."

"No, it's alright," Harry said quickly, smiling warmly. "I have a while before I have to leave yet."

Dumbledore simply nodded in reply, before speaking again, in a serious tone.

"The reason I came here today, was to request a favor of you."

"A favor?" Harry repeated, curiously. "What is it?"

"There are going to be changes at Hogwarts this year…"

"What do you mean changes?" Harry interrupted suddenly, not liking the idea of Hogwarts being any different than he would remember it.

"Changes in the staff, Harry," Dumbledore replied simply.

"Is…is someone leaving?" Harry asked, thinking it would be just his luck for Snape to quit when he no longer attended school.

"Someone is indeed," Dumbledore spoke softly. "Me."

Harry felt his jaw begin to drop and his eyes widen at hearing the reply.

"Why?" he barely whispered.

"It has been requested of me by the majority of the head ministers, to swear in as the official Minister of Magic."

"But…Hogwarts…you're the headmaster!" Harry sputtered. "I thought you wouldn't leave the school for the ministry!"

"Minerva McGonagall would take my place, becoming headmistress of Hogwarts. And you are correct, I had at one time said I would not leave Hogwarts for the ministry, but now, it seems, the need for change is much greater, and if I can help it happen in any way, I need to do it. The reason for my remaining at Hogwarts was to keep the students in as safe an environment as I could possibly provide for them, but if the ministry can no longer guarantee safety in the streets, it makes my job as headmaster much harder. And the students end up paying the price as curfews and added restrictions become absolutely necessary. I want to try and put an end to that once more, to make it as it was."

Harry nodded slowly, knowing what Dumbledore said made sense, but still feeling a sense of sadness that the headmaster would no longer be watching over Hogwarts as closely as he always had.

"I understand," he said quietly, looking into Dumbledore's eyes as he spoke. "So, Professor McGonagall would take your place…who would take hers? She could no longer be the head of Gryffindor house, right? And what about Transfiguration, would she still instruct that?"

"Her duties as headmistress would definitely be too much to add with instructing a class, and as headmistress she could not be the head of any house, no. But I have left it up to her to decide her successors, I have confidence that she will choose the most fit person for the job, for each opening."

"She's already agreed to this then?" Harry asked.

"Grudgingly, yes," Dumbledore replied with a grin. "I convinced Minerva that I was, in fact, truly leaving, and that I would hate to have to choose someone else to take my place. So she accepted."

Harry nodded again, before asking the question that had been on his mind since the former headmaster had first mentioned it.

"What, exactly, does all of this have to do with me?"

Dumbledore met Harry's gaze for a long moment, silence ringing in the air for what felt like an eternity, before he opened his mouth to reply.

"There is, one other position I need to fill, before I leave entirely," Dumbledore began, his tone one of utter seriousness. "The Defense Against the Dark Arts position."

Harry could feel his stomach twist as he realized what the former headmaster was saying.

"You…you can't…I …couldn't…" Harry stammered.

"I am asking you, Harry, if you would be interested in filling that position…even if it's just for one year."

"Albus…Professor Dumbledore…I don't know how to teach! I've never taken any classes for how to…to…instruct anyone…"

"I realize that," Dumbledore nodded faintly. "Though I must say, you are perhaps more qualified than any other witch or wizard I have ever considered for this position."

Harry sat back in his chair…not sure how to reply, when a sudden thought occurred to him.

"What about…Professor Snape? I'm sure he'd love to…"

"I'm quite aware," Dumbledore interrupted gently, "of Severus' interest in this position. He's made it quite clear himself, on several occasions. But Severus does not have the temperament required to instruct this class…he is far too eager to delve into the more dangerous end of things, and for students who are only just beginning, and even for some of the more experienced ones, that is not how it should be done."

"How do you know that I'd be any better?" Harry asked, worriedly.

"The safety of those around you has always been one of your highest priorities, Harry," Dumbledore began, gently, "I have no doubt you would take great care in whatever you introduced your students to."

Harry was at a loss for words. He hadn't been prepared for this, and truly had no reply. As if reading his mind, Dumbledore spoke up again.

"I don't expect you to have an answer for me right now," he said softly. "I know this request is coming as a shock, and I'm aware you had other plans for a career. I'm not asking that you give those up, but merely postpone them, just for one school year. This particular position is one that has been quite difficult to fill in the past, and I hesitate to simply fill it with someone I do not know very well. Though I will understand completely if your answer is no. All I ask is that you think about it for a week or so, before making your decision."

Harry nodded stiffly, still unsure of how to feel. He had a hundred questions running through his mind, but could not find the voice to ask even a single one, and simply sat and watched as Dumbledore slowly raised himself up from his seat.

"I will leave you now, to give you the time you need. Please, if it's not too much to ask, have an answer for me by the end of this month, so I will know if I have to find someone else with enough time before classes begin."

Harry felt himself nodding absently, as the headmaster said his goodbyes, and apparated swiftly, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts…and concerns.

Several hours later, Harry found himself on Jack Tristen's doorstep, and was preparing himself to ring the bell. He'd spent much of the morning mulling over Dumbledore's request, but had gotten no closer to making a decision. There were too many things that worried him if he should accept the offer, and he wasn't sure he would do a very good job as an instructor, anyway. However, he decided to push the thoughts from his head for the time being, and focus again on his plans for the day. He was truly excited about seeing Mel again, and hoped that everything would go perfectly.

Now standing at the entrance to her quaint, light blue house, hearing the sounds of small muggle children playing a game of kickball only a few houses down on this beautiful summer day, Harry took a deep breath, paying little attention to the haze of the crystals around him, and pressed his finger to the doorbell.

Breathing slowly, Harry listened as very light footsteps neared the opposite side of the door, before it was pulled open softly. A tall man with brilliant blonde hair and pale blue eyes stood before him. Harry knew immediately that this was Jack, but he felt a pang of sadness at the sight of Mel's brother. Though he had never seen him before, Harry could tell how ill Jack was just by the sight of him. His skin was very pale, seeming to hang under his eyes and neck. He was terribly thin, and the outline of his bones could be seen clearly through his wrists and knuckles. It seemed he was using a great deal of energy just to remain standing, as his left arm was raised and leaning against the doorjamb to keep him upright.

"Harry, I reckon?" Jack asked with a knowing smirk.

"Yes," Harry nodded, smiling as well. "You must be Jack."

"I must be," Jack nodded in reply, before gesturing with a curt nod for Harry to enter. "Well, come in then, mate. Mel will be back right soon I'd expect."

"Oh," Harry said quickly. "I'm sorry, am I early? I thought she said…"

"No, no, no," Jack laughed as he shut the door and began hobbling down the bright cream-colored hallway, his right hand pressing against the wall for support as he moved. "Mel is perpetually late for anything and everything, she went to pick up her paycheck this morning, she'll be back any minute."

"Oh," Harry said again as he followed Jack through a very old-fashioned looking kitchen, complete with wooden cupboards lining the walls and an old gas stove shoved right in between them. The pristine-white sink was dripping slowly and Jack sighed softly as he stopped in his tracks, and started heading towards it.

"Blasted thing won't ever shut off properly," he muttered, grabbing hold of the left knob and giving it a twist. Harry watched in silence, as Jack turned on the knob fully, slowing the drip down, but not cutting it off entirely. He could see the knuckles on Jack's hand go white from the pressure of squeezing the knob, and instinctively stepped forward, unable to stop himself before the words left his mouth.

"Would you like me to get it?" he asked, stopping suddenly, cringing inwardly and shutting his eyes. How could he be so dumb? Jack was going through enough already, he didn't need Harry, a complete stranger, to come into his house and treat him like a helpless child, but when he opened his eyes again, he was surprised to see Jack smirking at him.

"Be my guest," he said sliding to the right and gesturing for Harry to come closer.

"I'm sorry," Harry said quietly. "I didn't mean to…"

"Oh, don't go backing out now," Jack cut him off, grinning wryly.

"Pardon?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"You just offered to help me and now you're backing out…tsk, tsk, tsk…" he said, shaking his head disapprovingly.

Harry smiled uncertainly, not quite sure what to make of Jack, but stepped forward and gripped the left knob of the sink. He gave it one good, hard twist, and the dripping cut off instantly.

"Thanks," Jack nodded, still leaning against the counter. "Now that we have that settled, why don't you…" he cut off suddenly as his voice choked up and he began to cough violently. Harry didn't know what to do, standing there helplessly as Jack doubled over from the force of the spasm running through him.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked loudly, hearing the nervousness in his own voice. He reached out hesitantly, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder in an effort to steady him, when he heard the front door open gently.

"Jack?" Mel's alarmed voice floated up the hall, and he heard her quick footsteps as she ran into the kitchen. "C'mon," she said, taking him by his shaky arm, beginning to lead him to the opposite side of the kitchen. Harry followed them, tentatively, as they stepped through into a very quaint den area, and Mel helped her brother lower himself onto the soft, beige couch. His coughing fit had calmed down quite a bit, but Harry could see it had pained Jack just the same. His eyes were damp, and faint tear streaks lined the sides of his face, which he wiped at with the back of his sleeve.

"I'm sorry Jack," Mel whispered, kneeling down beside him. "I should never have left when I did…you never should have been on your feet like that."

"Melanie, stop," Jack said, his voice strained from trying to hold back the small sputtering of coughing still making its way through. "I can walk around my own house without you by my side if I want to."

Mel stood up slowly, shaking her head at her brother's stubborn gaze, before sighing exasperatedly, turning away, and looking towards Harry.

"I'm sorry," Harry began quietly, "If I hadn't gotten here when I did…he wouldn't have…"

"Harry don't," Mel said evenly, shaking her head faintly, a small grin on her lips. "I was the one who was late…"

"She's always late," Jack cut in sarcastically from behind her.

"And," Mel continued, rolling her eyes but ignoring the comment, "I should have waited to leave here…or gone much earlier."

Harry nodded, smiling at Mel, but not sure what to say.

"Sorry," Mel said suddenly laughing, "I'm not even thinking…come in and sit down Harry. I'm so glad you came…" she trailed off, throwing her arms around him tightly. He hugged her back, very aware of Jack staring up at them from the corner of his eye until the two separated.

"Yes, sit down Harry," Jack spoke up then, pleasantly, his voice sounding much better than it had only a few moments ago. "After all Mel's told me…I'm glad I'll finally be able to talk with you."

For about an hour, Jack asked Harry all about himself. Where he lived, what his interests were, who his friends are, and so on. Mel simply sat in the chair she and Harry were sharing, leaning against him as he spoke. If Jack asked something she felt was too personal she would begin to admonish him for it, but Harry didn't mind at all. He could understand why Jack was asking the things he was. He knew he wouldn't be around much longer to look after his little sister…and wanted to make sure someone else would be doing it.

When lunchtime finally rolled around, Mel stood up slowly, looking from Jack to Harry.

"Now I want you two to behave," she said jokingly, before giving Jack a pointed look.

"Damn," her brother spoke, feigning dejection. "There go all my plans for mass destruction…"

Harry couldn't stop from laughing as Mel gave Jack a withering look, despite the fact that she was trying to hide a grin from his broad, smiling face, before shaking her head and turning to leave the room.

"Keep it up, Jack," she called out warningly, a mischievous hint to her tone, as she strode through the doorway into the kitchen.

Harry smiled after her, before turning to look at Jack once more, and for a brief moment, neither of them spoke. Jack had pulled his feet up onto the long couch and was leaning his back against the plush arm, while Harry sat across from him in a matching armchair. He glanced around the very bright den area, smiling at the family photos on the walls, when Jack's voice spoke up, quietly.

"Do you love her?"

Harry turned back to him immediately, replying without any hesitation.

"Yes."

A faint grin crossed Jack's lips and he pushed himself up in his seat before speaking again.

"Do you mean that, Harry? I don't want you to lie to me…it's not my acceptance you need to gain right now. In about a month, according to the genius doctors, I'm not going to be around for Mel anymore, and it won't make even the slightest difference at that time if I like you or not. Mel is my little sister, but she's not a child, and I know that if I wanted to try to make her leave you, she wouldn't. It's going to be her decision, not mine. Just from talking to you today…I believe you're a good man Harry, and that you wouldn't try to hurt her…I just want you to be honest with me, because I won't be around to find out." As he finished speaking, Jack fixed Harry with an even stare, waiting for his response.

Harry had listened carefully to every word Jack spoke, taking a long, deep breath before replying in a very serious tone.

"You're right, I would never try to hurt Mel…and I swear I was telling the truth. I do love her…more than I can say."

Jack's expression remained as it was, and he nodded faintly at Harry, before lowering himself back against the arm of the couch once more.

"Then I believe you," he said quietly. Harry watched as Jack turned his head towards the large window behind the sofa, and smiled at the children playing in the street.

"Can…can I ask you something?" Harry spoke up, hesitantly.

"Sure," Jack replied pleasantly, looking back around to meet Harry's gaze.

Harry cleared his throat uncomfortably, before beginning to speak.

"Why is it…that you don't want to…" he paused, thinking of how he wanted to word the question. "That you won't accept help…from the wizarding world?"

"You mean why won't I let them cure me, right?" Jack asked, knowingly, an unreadable expression on his face.

Harry nodded softly.

"I don't mean to pry or anything," he said hurriedly. "I just…I don't understand…"

"The wizarding world is one I don't belong in, Harry," Jack stated firmly. "My parents raised me as best they could, but it was clear they never really cared for me. I'm sure a part of them loves me, but the disappointment in their eyes every time I see them is just too much. When Mel came along…well…let's just say in all my years of living I'd never seen them so happy as they were when they found out she wasn't the same as me. I was seven years old when my parents stopped caring. Mel is their daughter…I'm just…Jack…" he trailed off with an indifferent shrug.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered.

"Don't be," Jack replied instantly, looking directly into Harry's eyes. "I don't want anyone's pity. I'm quite accustomed to being thought of as an inferior by my parents…" he trailed off.

"Did they say anything about your decision?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Jack nodded stiffly. "They said I should stop behaving like a stubborn child and let them help me. They were angry, not upset. Not at any point since I've told them about my illness have they shown even the smallest inkling of grief or sadness."

"What about Mel?" Harry asked quietly. "I know for a fact that this is making her sad…more than sad."

"I can't let her help me, Harry," Jack said firmly, but his eyes betrayed him, misting over faintly. "Mel is my family, she's the only one I've cared about of the whole lot of them, but I can't just turn around and let them fix this for me."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"I'm not meant to be a part of that world, Harry. I will love my sister for the rest of my life and after…but I can't let the wizarding world be my miraculous cure, not even for her. This is my fate and they will have no say in it." Jack turned away then, looking pointedly out the window, and Harry knew it was to hide the tears in his eyes. He could understand, in a way, why Jack was doing this. But if only he could really see how badly he was hurting his sister. Harry could remember the look of complete anguish on Mel's face, the pain in her eyes as she told him of Jack's illness for the first time. This was tearing her apart inside. Alas, Mel would no sooner show Jack how hard she was taking this than he would show her. Harry shook his head sadly and sat back against his chair with a weak sigh, wishing there were something he could do to help, to make everything better, when a faint voice floated through his head.

We can make this better right now…we can cure him.

What do you mean? Harry asked back, vaguely recognizing the caring crystal's voice. How?

Wait, came the psychological crystal's voice. Is that really the best idea? Clearly he wants no help…

Think of how glad Mel will be to find out her brother will live! the caring crystal cut in.

We don't even have to tell Jack, the liar crystal spoke mischievously, he never has to know…

Yes but he would know something had been done to him, the psychological crystal spoke again. He would figure it out soon enough.

Well if we're going to do it, it must be now, the resolve crystal's voice broke through suddenly.

Harry nodded, leaning forward in his chair slightly. All he could see in his head was Mel's overjoyed reaction at finding out her brother would live. He could give that to her…

Tell me what to do, he thought hastily as he began to stand.

If we do this, Jack will hate us for it.

Harry faltered at hearing his own voice speaking to him through the courage crystal.

But he said he doesn't want help from his parents, Harry thought back quickly.

He said the wizarding world, of which we are most certainly a part of, the memory crystal spoke up curtly.

He might be upset, but he wouldn't hate us forever, the caring crystal said softly.

We don't know what he'd feel, the psychological crystal spoke firmly. That's why this is not a good idea.

You're right, Harry thought dejectedly, sitting back down in the soft chair. It's not my decision to make for him…

Sighing inaudibly, Harry closed his eyes and leant his head back for a brief moment. The crystals remained silent, knowing his decision was made, and Harry thought it was funny how easy it seemed to be to get along with them when Snape wasn't around, when suddenly he heard quick footsteps coming from behind him, and opened his eyes as Mel walked back into the room.

"It's awful quiet in here," she spoke up hesitantly, obviously not sure if this were a good sign or a bad one.

Jack smiled up at her as she set a tray of food down on the table in the center of the room.

"Sorry there Mel, I'm afraid I wasn't great entertainment for our guest…I nearly dozed off…" he lied, giving Harry a quick pointed glance.

"It was fine though," Harry jumped in, quickly, "I was just…admiring all the photographs."

"Oh no," Mel laughed as she came and sat down beside Harry again. "Some of those are just too embarrassing…"

"Trust me," Jack cut in with a wry smile, "there's nothing showing in this room quite as embarrassing as the one's I've got upstairs."

"Really?" Harry said, sitting forward in interest. "I'd very much like to have a look at…"

"No he wouldn't," Mel said warningly, but laughing as she pulled Harry back beside her.

Jack leant forward a bit and cupped his hand around his mouth before whispering to Harry.

"We'll talk later," he winked.

"No you will not," Mel said, sticking her tongue out at her brother.

"Alright, alright," Harry laughed. "Calm down. I promise I won't look at any photos of you that you don't want me to see…" he trailed off, pulling Mel closer to him while giving Jack the O.K. sign.

"Oooh, I give up," Mel grumbled good-naturedly as she pulled away from Harry, who along with Jack, was laughing at her. "Let's just eat, shall we? Unless you fancy cold soup…"

The three of them sat in the den, chatting about nothing in particular, and having a very pleasant time of it. Harry laughed with the others, enjoying a wonderful afternoon, all thoughts of the crystals gone for the time being.

When lunch was finished, Jack excused himself, saying he was sure Harry and Mel would want some time to themselves for this visit. Mel stood up as her brother did, but he shooed her away, saying he was entirely capable of making it up the stairs on his own, before slowly shuffling out of the room. The two of them listened as he ascended the steps one at a time, and heard the faint sounds of his footsteps moving down the hall. When at last his door was shut, Harry could feel the tension in Mel's shoulders release in the slightest as she sat back against him once more.

"He's gonna give me a heart attack, I know it…" she muttered, her eyes fixed on the doorway her brother had just gone through.

"Don't think on it," Harry spoke soothingly, feeling her wrap her arms around his waist as she nuzzled her head against his neck. "I think he just wants to do some things on his own…without feeling like he needs someone taking care of him around the clock."

"Well…unfortunately it's at the point where that's what he does need," Mel replied quietly. "His behavior just now was a show for you, Harry. He shouldn't be walking around so much, and especially going up the stairs…I always help him with that…" she trailed off.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come then," Harry began.

"Oh no, no, no!" Mel spoke hurriedly, sitting up to meet Harry's gaze. "No I didn't mean that at all! I'm so glad you two finally got to meet each other…" she trailed off, pausing for a moment and smiling softly. "He really likes you Harry…I could tell…"

"I like him too," Harry replied softly, returning the smile. "He seems like such a fun person."

"You should have seen him before," Mel began, almost excitedly. "He did everything…anything, actually. He was so full of life, always racing around, biking, snowboarding, hockey…" she trailed off, the smile on her face faltering. "He really misses it…"

"I'm sure he does," Harry said gently, pulling Mel to him once again. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest and listened to the sound of her soft breathing, as she let out a shaky sigh.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't meant to get all…depressing…"

"You're not depressing me," Harry replied, comfortingly.

"Really? Well that's good to hear…because I'm sure depressing myself right now," she laughed faintly. "Let's just…talk about something else…please?"

"Alright," Harry nodded with a grin. "Something else it is."

"Good," Mel replied, smiling up at him. "So…tell me what's new with you? How is everyone?"

Harry started re-telling all that had been happening over the summer for him. How the lessons with Snape were not working out as well as he'd hoped, but how much he loved living in his new home. He briefly told her of what was happening for Ron and Hermione, and that he'd not seen Ginny much but would be seeing them all again at the end of the month.

"That's wonderful," Mel said happily. "I bet Ron can hardly contain his excitement."

"That's pretty much accurate," Harry laughed. "You should see him talk about it."

"I hope I get to," Mel replied with a grin, before continuing, "And what about yourself? I've heard all about your friend's plans…are you still trying to do something for professional quidditch?"

Harry sat back in the chair, his conversation with Dumbledore that morning rushing back to him. He needed to think about the favor that had been asked of him, but at the same time, he didn't want to. Shaking his head of the thought, he looked down to meet Mel's eyes.

"Ask me again in a week," he replied with a smirk.

"In…in a week?" she asked quizzically. "Why a week? You'll have it all figured out by then?"

"Er…yes," Harry replied with a nod. "I will…I have to."

"I get this strange feeling you're not telling me something," Mel said, smiling knowingly.

"I promise you," Harry began, seriously, "I will tell you…I just need some time to think first."

"Fair enough," Mel nodded, sensing he wanted to drop the subject.

"What about you?" Harry asked. "How is your new job working out?"

"Well, it's only my job while I'm taking care of Jack," Mel replied slowly. "I needed something that didn't have a set schedule…so if I needed time off it would be easy to take. I'm doing alright, really. Madam Malkin's certainly isn't the worst place to work for, and now that I can apparate I don't have to worry about how long it would normally take to get there, unless Jack needs me to stop on the way home of course," she stated, a wry grin on her lips. "Apparating into a muggle grocery store is just a tad bit unacceptable…but I don't mind driving, when I have to."

"You can drive?" Harry asked, incredulously.

"Sure I can," Mel nodded, "Jack started giving me lessons two summers ago."

"Lucky you," Harry commented.

"Yeah…maybe I'll show you sometime," Mel said, smirking up at him.

"You would, ey?" Harry asked, gazing back at her, staring into her clear blue eyes. She didn't reply, however, but lifted her head towards his as he leant down as well. Their lips brushed softly and Harry felt the same thrill run through him that did every time he kissed Mel. Her scent filled him entirely and he barely felt her reach up around his neck as he deepened the kiss, his hands pressed firmly against her back, pulling her closer to him.

He pulled back reluctantly as he felt her draw away from him in the slightest, the sound of their breathing ringing in his ears. For several long moments, they sat in each other's arms, and Harry wished they could just remain as they were forever. But as the sun dropped lower in the sky, he heaved a gentle sigh and sat up slowly.

"I'm sorry to have to cut this short…" he began, looking towards Mel apologetically.

"Don't be sorry, Harry," Mel spoke softly. "I understand the reason…" she trailed off, looking out the window before speaking again. "And you better get going too…" she said, suddenly sounding worried.

"It's okay," Harry replied with a grin. "I've got at least an hour before it'll happen, though I do have to go now, because Professor Snape will be waiting with the potion."

"Have either of you started looking for…well…another way around this?" Mel asked, hopefully.

"Afraid not," Harry shook his head slowly. "The crystals barely respond during our lessons as it is…once we get passed that maybe we can work on this. Until then, I'm stuck with the wolfsbane potion."

"Sorry," Mel said softly, looking up at him with sad eyes.

"Don't be," Harry replied evenly, smiling reassuringly at her. "Just next time let's make our plans for a night that isn't going to fall on a full moon."

"Deal," Mel nodded with a grin as the two of them stood slowly. He reached out to her, pulling her near for one more kiss, before stepping back slowly, waving his good-bye, and disapparating.

"Cutting it a bit close are we, Potter?" a sneering voice spoke up the moment Harry appeared into his living room.

"There's still an hour left, Professor Snape," Harry replied as he turned to face the stern looking potions master who was standing in the center of the room, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed.

"I don't care if there's five hours left!" Snape spat, fiercely, "The point is this is very serious. Do you realize what could happen if you didn't take this potion in time?"

"I know exactly what would happen," Harry said darkly, his voice remaining steady as he glared back at Snape. "I've seen it first-hand, remember?"

"Well I certainly wouldn't be able to tell by your attitude," Snape said crisply. "Maybe if you even pretended to care…"

Harry felt a surge of fresh anger run through him, and opened his mouth, ready to give a nasty reply, when another voice called out, loudly.

"What do you think you're doing, Snape?" Sirius said heatedly as he descended the stairs into the living room.

"What do you think, Black?" Snape hissed, his eyes flashing angrily at the sight of Sirius. "Giving your godson his potion…"

"Really?" Sirius asked, stepping close to the other two, glaring at Snape and crossing his arms over his chest. "Because to me, it sounded very much like you were yelling at him…"

"He needs to learn not to take this situation lightly," Snape said darkly.

"I'm not taking anything lightly," Harry spoke up then, his eyes fixed on Snape. "And I don't appreciate you accusing me of such."

Snape whirled on him then, and he looked positively furious as he took a menacing step towards Harry.

"You also need to learn to have a bit more respect," he hissed, "for someone who is trying to help you."

"You're not his professor any longer, Snape," Sirius spoke up then, "he doesn't need to learn anything from you. Now you've given me the potion, and I thanked you for it. If there's nothing else…"

"Don't worry," Snape interrupted sneeringly. "I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to…I'm going."

Neither Sirius nor Harry spoke as Snape turned on the spot, stalking angrily towards the door. He pulled it open roughly, went through and slammed it with such force the wall shook.

Harry just looked after him, shaking his head in anger and disgust, before turning to look at his godfather.

"What happened with him?" he asked. "I mean…I know he doesn't like me very much…but it's been a long while since he…well…it seemed like he was just looking for a reason to go off on me."

"It doesn't take much when it comes to Snape, Harry," Sirius said as he slowly turned and started for the kitchen. "Here, take your potion first, I don't want either of us forgetting."

Harry nodded and followed his godfather out into the kitchen, the soft sunlight shining through the window, splaying across the floor.

"Here you go," Sirius said, grabbing up a bottle of the freshly brewed green concoction and handing it to his godson.

Harry didn't hesitate as he pried the cork out of the bottle, and downed every last drop of its contents, before placing it back down on the counter, and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You would think," Harry began, disgustedly, "that with all the magic we can do…we'd find a way to make our potions…taste better…blech…" he muttered, smacking his tongue against the roof of his mouth to try and get rid of the nasty aftertaste.

Sirius laughed at him as the two made their way back into the living room, and sat down across from one another in the fading light of day. Harry glanced again towards the window, knowing he still had a bit of time left before he'd have to excuse himself, before turning again to face his godfather.

"So, what do you think is making him so upset this time?" Harry asked curiously.

"Snape?" Sirius asked quickly, rolling his eyes as he continued. "I'm pretty sure I know exactly why he's such a pleasure to be around right now. He's going to lose out on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position yet again…" he trailed off, unable to hide the small grin on his face.

Harry's expression, however, was anything but pleased. He hadn't made a decision yet, had barely had time to consider what he wanted to do. Dumbledore surely wouldn't tell Snape he'd asked Harry to fill the opening instead of him, would he? Even if he decided not to take the offer, Snape would still hate him more than ever, knowing the possibility existed that he would have lost what he wanted so badly, to Harry.

"Do we know who Dumbledore asked instead?" Harry asked anxiously, staring intently at his godfather.

"No," Sirius shook his head and shrugged. "He won't tell anyone…said he's not going to until a final decision is made."

Harry could feel the relief set in upon hearing this. If Snape was going to know he was offered the position, he only wanted it to be if he accepted it. His expression must have given him away, however, for now Sirius was looking at him curiously.

"Marzia told me Dumbledore stopped by early this morning…wanting to talk to you," Sirius began, smirking lightly.

Harry nodded, trying to seem casual.

"He did, yes. Hey, where is Marzia, anyway?" he asked offhandedly, trying to change the subject.

"Shopping, what did he want to talk to you about?" Sirius replied in one breath, refusing to be swayed.

"I'm sure…well…you must've heard already," Harry stammered, "Dumbledore is leaving Hogwarts…"

"Yes, that I do know," Sirius nodded. "Which I'm actually glad for, because even though he is the best headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen, I know Minerva will do well in his place. And it's about time we had a decent Minister of Magic in office."

Harry nodded slowly.

"Yeah…I agree."

"Though, I do find it a bit…odd," Sirius continued, looking pointedly at Harry, "He would stop by so early and ask to speak to you alone…just to tell you something the rest of us already knew?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply…but couldn't think of anything that would sound believable without telling Sirius the truth in the seconds he had to think about it, and finally just let out a long breath before speaking quietly.

"Yeah…I'd find that odd too."

"Then, that wasn't all he wanted to talk to you about?" Sirius pressed, gently.

"No," Harry shook his head, sighing inaudibly before looking up to meet his godfather's eyes. "He asked me if I would teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year…"

Sirius remained silent for a long moment as Harry sat entirely still in his chair, replaying his conversation with Dumbledore over in his head for the third time that day.

"Do you think that you're going to take it?" Sirius asked at last.

"I don't…I don't know…" Harry whispered, shaking his head, seemingly at a loss. "There's so many things that I'm worried about…if I take this offer…" he cut off suddenly as he felt the first twinge of pain in his stomach, and clutched it tightly. "It's starting," he grimaced, seeing his godfather's expression become concerned. "I should go upstairs now…"

"Do you want me to help…?"

"No…thank you," Harry replied, the pain coming more fiercely now. The sick feeling that always accompanied these long nights was creeping its way into his gut, and he could taste it in his throat as he started towards the stairs, as quickly as possible.

"Alright," Sirius replied in a concerned voice, looking helplessly at his godson as he made his way up to his room.

He reached the top landing as sweat broke out along his forehead and, using the banister beside him for support, started immediately for his room. He heard Sirius call out to him once more, unable to make out what was said, and barely raised a hand in reply as he entered his bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind him. Staggering forward, Harry made his way towards his bed, and let himself fall limply onto the soft, downy comforter, before curling up into a tight ball, and preparing for the long wait.

For the next two nights, Harry went through the same grueling process, feeling tired and weak for hours on the following days. Sirius and Marzia would check in on him regularly during the day, making sure he was eating, and to see if there was anything he needed. He wondered how Remus had rarely ever shown how horribly he must have been feeling whenever this was happening for him. Harry could hardly think of more than two or three instances when his friend had seemed as if he truly needed to rest during the time of the full moon each month, in all the years he'd been a professor at Hogwarts.

Sirius didn't bring up the Defense Against the Dark Arts position during the three days, for which Harry was grateful; he knew he'd never be able to concentrate on it if he'd been asked. But just as Harry had suspected, as soon as he was feeling better, Sirius had asked to have a talk.

"I know what you want to talk about," Harry said quietly as they left the kitchen after breakfast. Marzia was busying herself with cleaning up, but by the expression on her face when she smiled reassuringly at him, Harry knew Sirius had told her about Dumbledore's request.

Sirius nodded as he lowered himself down on the couch, and Harry took a seat just across from him.

"I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to put any pressure on you," his godfather began, seriously. "Dumbledore has asked this favor of you, and therefore I have no say in the matter. But I would like to know how you feel about it. Are you even considering it as an option?"

"Yes," Harry nodded slowly, "I am considering it…I'm just not sure…"

"What is it that you're worried about if you take this position?" Sirius asked gently.

"Well," Harry began, "I've never taught before…I don't know that I'd be any good at it. And it would be awkward to have to teach people that I was in school with as a student only a few months ago."

"You don't think they'll see you as their instructor?" Sirius asked. "That they won't listen to you?"

"That's part of it, yes," Harry nodded. "Some of the students I don't think will be a problem…but I'm not sure about…well…"

"The Slytherins?" Sirius asked knowingly.

"Yes," Harry replied. "At least I wouldn't have to put up with Draco, Crabbe and Goyle…but most all of them will know who I am. Not to mention if Snape was so angry a few days ago just knowing someone else was going to get this position, imagine what will happen when he finds out it's me…" Harry trailed off, letting out a hollow laugh before continuing. "He'll probably encourage his students to make it harder for me…"

"I won't argue with you on that," Sirius said, no trace of humor in his voice. "I believe that's exactly what he'd do. The only good thing is at least this way if you see any of them step out of line, you can take points away from their house."

"That's another thing," Harry said upon hearing Sirius' comment, "about taking points away…what if I don't do it right?"

"Right?" Sirius asked with a small laugh, "How do you mean?"

"Well I don't want to take too many away…or too little…and I don't want to turn into Snape, only taking it away from people he doesn't like and not those who deserve it…"

"You'd never do that," Sirius said confidently, "I know you wouldn't. You have a good heart, Harry…I know you'd be fair if the situation arose where the punishment of one of the students fell to you."

Harry nodded faintly, sitting back in his chair and letting out a quiet sigh.

"There's more, isn't there?" Sirius asked, concerned. "What else is bothering you?"

"Voldemort," Harry said quietly. "If he's still alive somewhere, and tries to come after me…I'll be endangering everyone at the school again."

Sirius looked carefully at his godson for a long moment, before replying.

"I think, because we are not sure what exactly happened to Voldemort, that he will always be a worry in the back of your mind, whether you decide to go back to Hogwarts, or play quidditch, or something entirely different. Unless we find some ultimate proof one way or another, there's no way to be certain. The only good thing I can say is at least Hogwarts is protected. After last year, we went through and closed off the outer entryway that the death eaters had been using to get in for so long. All of the defense spells have been reinforced as well."

"And many of Voldemort's followers are in Azkaban now…" Marzia's voice spoke up as she came in from the kitchen to join them, "where they belong. Including Lucius Malfoy."

"Yes but we didn't get all of the death eaters last year…" Harry pointed out quickly.

"And the cold, hard truth is, we probably never will," Sirius replied solemnly. "There will always be those that can evade capture, in any number of ways."

Harry nodded again, knowing they were right, but still he didn't feel confident enough to do what was being asked of him…there was one thing that worried him above all of his other concerns.

"You wouldn't disappoint him, you know that, right?" Sirius spoke up gently, reading the expression on Harry's face like a book.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, barely above a whisper.

"Remus," Sirius replied simply. "I can see it in your eyes, Harry. You don't think you can live up to his…his standards, as you see them."

"And what if I can't?" Harry asked, feeling a twinge of sadness. "What if I do so terribly that McGonagall asks me to leave and they let Snape or somebody take over? Remus was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that I've ever known at Hogwarts…how can I possibly compare with that?"

"You can't," Marzia said curtly.

Harry looked up sharply, but she continued quickly.

"You can't compare yourself to Remus, you've got to find your own way of doing things. Dumbledore asked this of you because he believes you are the right person for the task, Harry…if nothing else convinces you to take this position, that should. If you truly don't want to do it, then don't…but don't let your doubts be what stops you."

Harry stared back at Marzia for a long moment, during which no one made a sound, before he slowly began to sit up and nodded faintly.

"You're right," he said quietly, "it's just that it's hard not to…worry…"

"How do you think Remus felt?" Sirius asked gently. "Especially when he came back for your fifth year, his secret known by all the students and having no idea how they would now react to him?"

"And now it's my secret as well," Harry said evenly.

"Which I think you'll be able to handle just as well as he did," Sirius said confidently.

"Oh sure, until Snape lets it slip for me as well…" Harry said, hollowly.

"Parents knew what Remus was when he was teaching there the last three years," Marzia said, "they didn't pull their kids out then…I doubt they will for you either."

"The point is," Sirius said quickly, "Remus was just as worried, just as critical towards himself as you are being right now, when Dumbledore asked him to return for your fifth year, he believed he was not the right man for the job. It was only because of the confidence that Dumbledore had in him, how certain he was that Remus was the only person he wanted teaching about the dark arts in that school, that made him feel he could do it."

Harry nodded faintly, looking back and forth from Sirius to Marzia, before slowly raising himself up to a standing position.

"Thank you," he said quietly, grinning lightly. "I'd…I'd like to go upstairs now…if that's alright…"

"Of course it's alright," Marzia replied, smiling softly.

Harry nodded once more before turning quickly and heading for the stairs. When at last he made it to his bedroom, he shut the door gently behind him, and headed straight to the desk just beside a large window, overlooking the expansive backyard. A cool summer breeze was ruffling his hair as he stood there, staring out at the miniature quidditch setup he and Sirius had put up a month before. Shaking his head softly, he turned away from the window and lowered himself into the comfortable chair near the desk, picking up a stack of letters lying atop it as he did so.

One by one, he read through each of them for the second time, placing them in a neat pile as he finished. Then, reaching into his top drawer, he drew out several blank sheets of parchment, and a quill. Uncapping the bottle of ink that was always on the desk's surface, he dipped the tip in, and began to write. For a full hour he remained where he was, composing nine nearly identical letters, that explained to the manager of each quidditch team that he would not be looking to interview this year, but thanked them sincerely for their consideration.

When he'd completed those, he pushed the stack aside, making a mental note to go to the owlery the following day so he could send them out, before working on one final letter.

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

I have given a lot of thought to our discussion, and if the offer is still open, I would very much like to take the position. Please let me know what I will need to do in order to prepare for classes.

I look forward to receiving your reply.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter

Once he was finished, he read and re-read the letter several times, before folding it into a neat rectangle and slipping it into an envelope. He addressed it to Albus Dumbledore and sealed it quickly, before standing slowly from the desk and turning to where Hedwig was sitting comfortably on the perch he'd set up for her.

"I have something here for you, girl," he said as he stepped up in front of his beloved owl. She gazed back at him gently as he lifted his hand and stroked the side of her head. He tied the letter securely to her right leg, before looking back into Hedwig's eyes.

"See that Dumbledore gets this, alright?" he asked, stroking the soft feathers under her beak. She nipped his fingers affectionately, before letting out a soft squawk and spreading her wings. She leapt into the air in a flurry of feathers and glided through the open window with ease. Harry stood by, watching after her until she was out of sight, before turning around with a low sigh.

This was it, he'd done it. There was no turning back now.

The next few days passed by quickly for Harry, and during that time, he received exactly ten owls. Nine of them were replies from the many quidditch teams he'd written to, expressing their regrets that Harry would not be going out for their team this year, and requested that he please contact them should he ever change his mind. Harry put them aside, glad that the offers were all going to remain open, but it was the tenth letter he received that he was most anxious to read.

Harry,

I wish to thank you for your acceptance of my offer. I believe you will do this job well. I have already informed Minerva of your reply and she will be waiting for you on the twenty-sixth of August. It is preferable that all professors arrive a week prior to the start of classes, however, if you cannot make it on this day please send an owl immediately.

I have enclosed a list of books that are accepted material to be used in instructing this course, as well as a copy of the last course schedule. You do not have to use the latter of the two; I only sent it as an example.

Minerva will inform you of everything else you may need to know when you arrive. Thank you again, Harry.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

"Are you glad you said yes?" Sirius asked when Harry showed him the letter when they were sitting in the living room sometime later.

"Yes," Harry nodded slowly. "Yes I am."

"Good," Sirius replied with a grin. "Then so am I."

"There's just so much I need to do…" Harry said off-handedly as he once again looked over the list of books, comparing them to Remus' old schedule. "I'll have to look through each and every one of these to decide which ones I want…"

"We can go together, if you like," Sirius commented, handing the actual letter back to his godson. "First thing next week, you and I can go to Diagon Alley."

"You don't mind?" Harry asked, grateful for his godfather's offer.

"Not at all," Sirius replied with a wink.

"Thanks," Harry said, smiling. He looked up abruptly, however, when the clock on the wall began to chime. "Oh great…now I'm late…" he said stuffing the papers hurriedly back into the envelope and standing. "Sorry," he said quickly, "I told Mel I would meet her…"

"Don't worry about it," Sirius laughed as he watched his godson rush towards the stairs. "Just go, I'll see you later tonight."

Harry nodded faintly as he raced up the stairs. He tossed the letter on his desk and quickly crossed the room towards the chest containing the crystals. He opened it quickly and called them all to him, before closing it once more and standing. Taking one last glance around the room, he closed his eyes, and disapparated.

He reappeared instantly in Mel's front hallway, to find it empty. But no sooner had he begun to move forward, then he heard footsteps moving quickly down the stairs, and he walked towards them, just as Mel reached the bottom landing.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, out of breath as she saw him standing before her.

"It's alright," Harry laughed, "I only just arrived less than a minute ago."

"You don't have to come, you know," Mel said as they both turned towards the door. "I told you I'm only running a few errands, things that Jack needs…"

"Yes, because my life is far too busy for such things," Harry joked as they stepped outside.

"Shut up and get in," Mel replied, sticking her tongue out at him as they walked to opposite sides of the small hatchback sitting in the driveway.

Harry just laughed at her lightly as they both slid into their seats, and were soon on their way.

They chatted for the short drive to the pharmacy, which took less than a minute to pick up the prescriptions, before heading off again. They got out of the car at small, outdoor mini-mall, with several small shops all lined up in a row.

"Jack's clothes are a bit big for him once again," Mel explained quickly. "I just need to pick up a couple pairs of pants and a shirt or two…just to hold him over until I have time to mend the clothes he has now."

"Let's go then," Harry nodded, as they started across the parking lot towards the shops. Harry looked around at all the muggles going about their business. There were a few eateries, a bakery, a fabric store and several different kinds of clothing stores. The coffee shop seemed to be the most popular by far, as the chairs out front were all taken and he could see a great deal of them inside were as well. He smiled as he watched several parents looking after their kids, who were playing in the dirt nearby, when something caught his eye and he stopped in his tracks.

"Do you see that?" he asked Mel quickly.

"See what?" she asked, looking up from her bag which she'd been rummaging through, before turning her attention back to it.

"Right there," Harry said, careful not to lift his hand to point. "In front of the bakery…it…it looks like a shadow."

"Where?" Mel asked, only half paying attention as she looked up again. But it was gone. Harry couldn't see it anymore.

"Nevermind," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Mel said, her tone distracted. "I just need to find where I put the muggle money…I know I just had it at the pharmacy…"

"No, it's alright," Harry said. "Must've been my eyes playing tricks on me." But he wasn't so sure. He had seen a shadow in front of the bakery, he knew he had. The strange thing being, there were no people nearby, and no trees. There was nothing that the sun could be hitting that could have caused the shadow to appear, and yet he was positive he'd seen it.

Shaking his head of the thought, however, Harry followed Mel into a small clothing store that had mostly a variety of sportswear, exactly what Jack loved, according to Mel. They spent the better part of an hour going through the store, until Mel finally settled on two outfits she was sure would fit Jack. They brought everything up to the counter, paid for the merchandise and left. Harry carried the large bag, while Mel began rummaging in her bag once again, this time to find where the keys had wandered off to.

"Want to grab a bite?" Mel asked, glancing up at him for a moment. On the other side there's a nice Italian restaurant…"

"Sure, why not," Harry replied with a grin. They passed by the large group of people in front of the coffee shop and turned the corner away from the crowd. Harry was surprised how deserted it seemed over here, and for some unexplainable reason, began to feel uneasy.

"Where is this place?" he asked quickly.

"Just at the end there," Mel said pointing to the last shop in line.

Harry nodded stiffly, looking around cautiously as he quickened his pace.

"Something wrong?" Mel asked, noticing his change in behavior.

"I don't know," Harry said, honestly. "Let's just get inside."

They both sped up, reaching the last doorway seconds later and halting just in front of it. Sighing lightly, Harry shook his head faintly, feeling a bit silly at his moment of panic and reached out to open the door for Mel, when suddenly a rough hand clamped down on his wrist. Harry instinctively started to pull back, dropping the bag in his hand and barely registering the fact that he could almost see through the hand holding him, when several more grabbed him from behind.

"Harry!"

Harry turned to see Mel struggling in the grasp of several large figures, all of which seemed to be made of shadows.

"What do you want?" he asked, trying to free himself from their grasp as both he and Mel were forced around the side of the shops and into the wooded area behind. When they were well hidden by the trees, the shadowy figures brought them to a halt, holding them in place, as several more of them seemed to appear out of thin air, and moved slowly forward.

"Let us go," Harry said evenly as the figure in the center stepped up in front of him. "We've done nothing to you."

Suddenly, a raspy laugh filled his ears and the figure before him seemed to take on a human shape, but not entirely. He could see what looked like a young man, with light brown hair and light brown eyes, flickering in and out of view in the midst of the shadow surrounding him. But what Harry saw in the man's eyes was what made him feel a twist of panic, which he forced down. He was glaring hatefully at Harry, but smiling all the while.

"Thought you could escape us, did you?" the brown-haired shadow figure spoke in a dark, raspy voice.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, bewildered. He'd never even seen these things before.

"I knew you couldn't hide forever," the figure continued, ignoring Harry's question. "And now we're going to make you pay."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said, evenly, glaring back at the shadowy figure before him. "I've never seen you before…what could I possibly have done to you?"

"It's not what you did to me," the raspy voice spoke darkly, "but to all of us…you're a traitor."

Harry couldn't even find words to express the confusion he was feeling at that moment, and stood their, staring at the strange figure.

"That one can go," the shadow said again, nodding towards the ones holding Mel. They released her instantly, backing away several paces as she immediately thrust her hand into her pocket, drawing out her wand and looking around wildly, as if ready to attack the first figure that moved.

"Let him go too," Mel demanded, her voice wavering slightly as she glared at the lead shadow and nodded towards Harry.

"Do not push your luck, witch," the figure spat in reply. "Go now, for we have no use for you…"

Mel opened her mouth to speak again but Harry was quicker.

"Mel please just go," he spoke fiercely, praying she would just do it. He couldn't let these things do anything to her, "you can tell the others…"

"Tell whomever you please," the lead figure spoke wickedly, turning his attention back to Harry and moving towards him. "It will do no good. No one is going to see you ever again…" he hissed, gleefully, his face only inches from Harry's now. For a moment, the image of the brown-haired man came through clearly, and Harry swore it looked as if he were sniffing the air, before the figure drew back again. "So…you're a werewolf now as well?" he asked, cruelly. "This will be more fun than I'd thought…"

"Look," Harry began apprehensively, trying in vain to free himself from their grasp, "if you could just explain…tell me what it is you think I've done…"

"Come," the figure interrupted in a menacing tone, motioning towards the shadows holding tightly to Harry, "we're wasting time."

They began to drag him forward and Harry dug his feet into the ground, barely hearing Mel cry out several curses, though he was quite aware that they had no effect on the shadow beings. It was useless, there were too many of them and he couldn't overpower them.

We have to get them off of us now, the courage crystals spoke up abruptly. Harry's heart leapt, having forgotten he'd even taken the crystals with him this morning. He'd grown so accustomed to seeing their mist in the air around him, and they'd remained utterly silent up until now.

How? he asked anxiously.

Stop struggling, came the reply.

Harry did exactly as he was told, forcing himself to stop fighting against the shadow figures, as they dragged him deeper into the wooded area to some unknown destination. For a brief moment, nothing happened, when suddenly Harry could feel his skin begin to tingle, and the crystals' mist began to swirl around him furiously.

A warm feeling had slowly begun to form in the pit of his stomach, and Harry could feel the shadowy figures hesitate as they became aware of it as well…they could sense it, somehow, and the ones holding him stopped in their tracks.

"We're almost there!" hissed the lead figure, "Just a few more…"

But he never finished his sentence, the energy Harry was feeling was transferred into the shadow beings holding him through his skin and he felt them release their grip as if he were poisonous. Several of the figures standing nearby immediately moved forward to take their place, but halted as they watched their allies seem to melt…forming a dark puddle on the hard ground, before seeping into it.

The lead shadow figure took a sharp step forward, the face underneath coming into full view for another brief moment, and Harry could see the utter fury in his eyes, before he motioned for the others to step back. They did as they were told and Harry watched as they slowly faded out of view, right before his eyes.

"See you next time, traitor," the lead one spat vehemently, before he too slowly disappeared into thin air.

"Harry! Are you alright?" Mel cried out, a mixture of fear and relief in her voice. "What were those things?" she breathed, finally coming to a halt as she ran up beside him.

"I'm fine," Harry nodded, putting an arm around her and pulling her towards him. He was just glad she was alright. "And I have no idea what they were…"

"Then why did they know who you were?" Mel asked, her eyes fixed on his own, searchingly.

"I don't know," Harry replied, mystified over everything that had just happened. "C'mon," he spoke up again quickly. "I want to get out of here before they decide to come back…"

Mel made no argument, undoubtedly feeling the same way, and the two of them set off as quickly as possible back towards the clearing.

Mel drove them straight back to her house, the other errands she needed to run completely gone from her thoughts at the moment. Harry walked her inside, shutting the door firmly behind him, before turning to face her.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Harry, don't even start," Mel said quickly, stepping forward and slipping her arms comfortingly around his waste, resting her head against his chest.

"I just keep getting you into these…these…dangerous situations," he said, regretfully.

"Situations which you have no control over," Mel said firmly. "And, which we've always gotten out of."

"So far," Harry added, pointedly.

"That's right," Mel nodded, looking up to meet his gaze. "So far. And I'd be willing to bet everything I own…that that'll never change. You don't lose easily Harry, you fight until there's nothing left in you, and then you continue to fight beyond that…in any way you can."

"You certainly sound confident," Harry said, grinning faintly at her.

"Well…one of us has to," Mel shrugged lightly, but returned the smile, before continuing. "You'd better get going…find out what those things were if you can…and why they were after you. I want to come, to help…but…"

"I understand," Harry nodded, reassuringly, seeing the torn look in her eyes. "Jack needs you right now…don't even think on it. I'll talk to Sirius and Marzia first…they may know more about these shadow things…"

"Good," Mel replied, nodding softly. She lifted her face as Harry leant down to kiss her gently, holding each other tightly for a brief moment, before separating slowly.

Harry lifted a hand as Mel took a step back, and waved good-bye, before disapparating into the familiar swirl of colors.

When he reappeared seconds later in his den, he was relieved to see Sirius sitting at the kitchen table in the next room, reading over that day's Daily Prophet. Marzia was across from him, a cup of tea in front of her, along with a letter, which she was reading.

"Harry," Sirius smiled as he spied his godson coming towards them. "You're back earlier than I'd expected. Mail's jus arrived; you have a letter from Ron…" he trailed off, his smile faltering as he realized by Harry's expression that something was wrong. "What is it? What's happened?" he asked immediately, beginning to stand.

"It's alright Sirius," Harry assured him, seeing his godfather about to go into one of his usual frenzies that would occur whenever his godson's well being was in question. "Something happened today," Harry continued evenly as he took a seat at the table between them, having their undivided attention. "Mel and I were attacked."

"Death eaters?" Sirius asked quickly, anger evident in his voice.

"I wish," Harry laughed, hollowly, drawing strange looks from both Sirius and Marzia. "I don't know what they were…"

"Why don't you just start at the beginning," Marzia said calmly. "Tell us what happened…"

Harry nodded grimly, and began to do exactly that. He started from seeing the strange shadow right out in the open when they'd first arrived at the mini-mall, before skipping to where both he and Mel were grabbed by the strange beings. He retold the conversation as best he could remember, and how he'd been able to use the crystals to escape just in time.

"So these things…they think you're a traitor to them?" Sirius asked, his voice mingled with anger and confusion.

"That's what the lead one said," Harry nodded dismally. "Though he wouldn't tell me why…" he trailed off as his gaze drifted over to where Marzia was sitting silently, her face looking much paler than it had only a few moments earlier.

"What is it?" Sirius asked her, noticing her expression just as Harry did. "Do you know something about these things?"

"Not enough…" Marzia barely whispered.

"Do you know what they are at least?" Harry asked, hopefully. Marzia nodded ever so slowly before speaking in a voice that was barely audible.

"They're Shadow Walkers, Harry. They belong to the Cult of Shadows…"

"The Cult of Shadows?" Harry repeated softly. "What is that…and what do you think they want with me?"

"I don't know," Marzia replied gravely, faintly shaking her head as she spoke. "But they are extremely reclusive…they outright refuse to show themselves unless it's something they consider to be of the utmost importance…and above all else…you never want to upset them…"

"Well it's a bit late for that!" Harry said, feeling a twinge of fear creeping up inside him. "They were upset with me before I'd even met them…and I don't think my escaping helped matters any…"

"Marzia what else do you know about these things?" Sirius asked, solemnly.

"Not nearly as much as we're going to need to know," Marzia said with a weak shrug. "And I don't know if my information is even accurate any longer…we need to find someone who knows more."

"Then that's what we're going to do," Sirius said, determinedly. He was obviously just as shaken as Harry was feeling over Marzia's reaction to the Shadow Walkers, and stood up abruptly. "I'm going to talk to Dumbledore…" he called out as he exited the kitchen and started immediately for the fireplace in the living room. "Both of you stay here…I promise I'll be back as soon as possible."

Harry and Marzia had both stood as well, and followed Sirius into the adjacent room near to the fireplace.

"Hurry," Marzia said, barely above a whisper, her arms crossed protectively over her chest, as Sirius threw a handful of floo powder into the flames he'd just ignited.

"I will," Sirius replied confidently. He nodded reassuringly at both of them, before stepping into the flames and being pulled off into a swirl of color. The fire died down only seconds later, leaving Harry and Marzia standing side by side, staring after him.

"Marzia," Harry began gently as she turned away from the blackened fireplace, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she replied quietly, sitting down stiffly on the long couch.

"You don't look fine," he said softly, crossing the room and lowering himself down beside her.

"I'm just glad you're alright," Marzia said again, looking up and meeting Harry's gaze. He could see the concern showing through clearly…and the fear. "It could have been much worse…"

"These things…the Shadow Walkers…they really scare you, don't then?" Harry asked. "I've never seen you act like this before…"

"They're not people you want to mess with Harry," Marzia replied, evenly, "no matter how much power you have."

"Are they from Faerun?" Harry asked. "Have you dealt with them before?"

"No…to both," Marzia replied. "During the time that I was traveling around for the ministry, I was never given an assignment that took me anywhere near the Shadow Walkers…but after hearing stories of other ministry workers, I certainly was in no hurry to request one."

"Why?" Harry asked, both intrigued and frightened to hear the answer.

"They aren't a very civilized group, to put it in the nicest way of speaking," Marzia replied quietly. "They don't have any qualms about hurting, torturing…or killing someone that angers them. Spells are useless against them, and they can blend into the shadows of any environment."

"So then there's no way at all to stop them?" Harry asked, incredulously. "How is it I've never heard of them before? Surely if they're so dangerous we'd have been taught about…"

"The ministry, in all their wisdom, don't consider the Shadow Walkers a threat to us," Marzia interrupted, darkly. "They only act out against those who've wronged them in some way…so the ministry simply stays quiet about them. Few witches and wizards are even aware of the Shadow Walkers' existence. The less people that know about them, the less that can do anything to anger them."

"Well that still doesn't explain why they came after me," Harry said, slowly, feeling his earlier confusion racing back to him. The lead Shadow Walker had seemed absolutely positive that Harry was the person they were looking for, it had been all too evident in his hateful glare.

"I can't even begin to guess why they might be after you," Marzia said, shaking her head slowly. "But we have to find out…soon."

"Can you remember anything else at all?" Harry asked, anxiously. "Anything you can tell me?"

"There's no reason to tell you anything else that I know, they're all just stories…" Marzia replied, quietly. "It won't help anything…"

Harry leant back against the couch as Marzia's eyes drifted down to her hands. He was somehow more worried by the statement she'd just made; than he felt he would have been had she told him what she knew.

Clearing his throat softly, Harry opened his mouth to ask another question, when the fireplace suddenly erupted in a flurry of green flames.

Dumbledore stepped out of the hearth as the flames died down around him, before they immediately flourished again, and Sirius appeared just behind him. The two men started to cross the room, as both Harry and Marzia stood to greet them.

"Sirius told me what happened," Dumbledore began immediately as they met each other in the center of the room. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Harry nodded quickly, "and very much hoping that you can tell me more about what these things are…"

"Let's go into the kitchen," Sirius spoke up, gesturing for everyone to follow. The four of them made their way into the next room, taking seats around the breakfast nook, before Dumbledore began speaking again.

"Marzia has begun to tell you about the Cult of Shadows, yes?" he asked quietly, looking directly at Harry.

"Yes," Harry nodded quickly. "She said they were reclusive and that the ministry doesn't consider them a threat…" he trailed off, before continuing in a lower voice, "and that you…don't want to get on their bad side…"

"No, you definitely do not," Dumbledore nodded gravely.

"But I don't understand how I did!" Harry exclaimed, suddenly. "I've never even met them before…what could I have possibly done?"

"I don't know why it is they're angry with you," Dumbledore said quickly, "but I will do what I can to find out. For now, I will at least tell you what I know…so that you may be prepared in case this happens again…"

"Do you think it will?" Sirius asked, worriedly. "Will they be able to find Harry easily?"

"I think they will most certainly try, yes," Dumbledore nodded. "Though in the wizarding world, it will be more difficult for them to trace Harry. I suspect the reason they were able to get to him so easily today, was due to the fact that he was surrounded mostly by muggles."

"Why would that make a difference?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Because the Shadow Walkers can sense you, can sense anyone, if they've been near them even once. Their sense of smell runs so deep that it is all they use to distinguish one wizard from another…as they cannot see you."

"But he did see me professor," Harry said quickly. "The lead Shadow Walker…he looked right at me…"

"His eyes were focused on you but all he could see of you was your shadow," Dumbledore replied evenly. "As I said, their sense of smell runs deep…they know where your eyes are, your ears, your mouth…everything…even though they cannot see you clearly."

"So then…he has no idea what I look like?" Harry asked, slowly.

"No, when he looks at you, all he sees is shadow," Dumbledore replied.

"Well then how can they be sure that I'm the one they're after?" Harry asked. "If they can't see me…"

"The loss of their sight is not a handicap by any means," Dumbledore replied firmly. "Sirius told me one of them recognized you to be a werewolf…does that show you how deeply their senses run? They can tell you apart from another wizard just as easily as I can by looking at you."

Harry nodded faintly, before realizing what Dumbledore had actually said and looking up sharply.

"The loss of their sight? You mean they used to be able to see?" he asked quickly.

"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore nodded. "Shadow Walkers are not born that way…they are human first."

"Do they choose to become part of this cult willingly?" Sirius asked. "Or are they forced?"

"Willingly, always," Dumbledore replied. "They will extend an offer to join them to anyone that they believe might accept, but they will never force it upon you. They treat each other with the greatest respect."

"Pity they can't treat the rest of us that way," Sirius said, angrily.

"They much prefer not to deal with the rest of us," Dumbledore said quietly. "It is the reason they become what they are…"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, not quite understanding.

"I mean that the Shadow Walkers used to be people who feel they were unaccepted by those around them…when they change over, they become part of a family. They treat each other kindly, as they feel they were treated quite the opposite before."

"You mean…they were orphans?" Harry asked quietly. "Like me?"

"Some of them, yes," Dumbledore nodded gently.

"How is it that they change over then?" Sirius asked. "What does one have to do to become a Shadow Walker?"

"The details on that are very unclear," Dumbledore began slowly, "We know they possess an item…an orb…that holds tremendous power. Only the Shadow Walkers themselves can use it…to everyone else it is useless. It is believed that this is the source of their powers…and their existence."

"So then it must also be their weakness," Sirius said darkly. "If we can find it…"

"Sirius Black," Dumbledore spoke up suddenly, his voice very still and grave, "that is most certainly not an option. You cannot destroy the orb."

"If we can save Harry by…" Sirius began to argue, heatedly.

"We will find a way," Dumbledore insisted, firmly, his eyes boring into Sirius' own. "But we will do it without wiping out their entire race. We are not murderers."

"Oh I see," Sirius spoke harshly, "so it's alright that they murder Harry for something he didn't even do…"

"Sirius don't," Harry said faintly, shaking his head. "Professor Dumbledore is right…I don't want to kill anyone…"

"And if we did want to," Marzia spoke up at last, "it would be a nearly impossible task to try and get to the orb. You'd most likely die trying…"

"Alright so then what do we do?" Sirius asked, still angry. "Sit around and wait for them to attack again? How do we know that Harry is even safe anymore?"

"He is safe because they do not know where he is," Dumbledore replied. "The more witches and wizards that are around, the better hidden he becomes from them."

"That will only hold them off for so long…you know that, right?" Marzia asked softly. "It's only a matter of time…"

"I realize that, yes," Dumbledore nodded grimly, before looking up at Harry once more. "I think it is best that you make sure to keep the crystals close by as often as possible. I will be honest with you…there is little we can do to protect against them. They are essentially invincible against our magic, but it seems your magic has some effect on them. If you should run into one of them again, the only option we have is to try and get information from them…to find out why they are after you…"

"Oh that won't be too hard," Harry said weakly, his voice completely devoid of humor. "I'm sure they'll be much obliged to sit down and have a chat with me."

"Let us hope it does not come to that," Dumbledore spoke seriously. "As soon as I am in office at the ministry, I will be using any resources available to try and contact the Cult of Shadows…with any luck, I will find out what we need to know before another confrontation can take place.

"I hope so…" Harry said quietly, feeling only doubt in his gut.

The end of the month finally arrived, and Sirius had barely taken his eyes off of Harry over the few days that had passed since the attack. Harry was glad that his godfather cared for him, but at times the extra attention would border on sheer annoyance and he began to wonder if soon Sirius would insist on watching him dress, among other things.

"You do realize…if the Shadow Walkers did show, you wouldn't be able to do anything anyway," Harry had said to him one day. "So there's no need for you to follow me around…"

"I don't care," Sirius replied stubbornly, "It makes me feel better…"

Harry simply rolled his eyes, realizing he would have to just deal with it. He was sure that after a few more days…a week at the most, Sirius would begin to calm down again, and things would resume to normal. Harry was now quite glad he'd accepted the position at Hogwart's, as he'd be surrounded by hundreds of witches and wizards every day non-stop, which would certainly make him feel safer…more at ease. But until then he was comforted by the fact that the Shadow Walkers didn't know where he was, and for the time being at least, he was safe.

Harry's eighteenth birthday arrived at last, and he spent the earlier part of the day at home with Sirius and Marzia. Ron and Hermione had told him not to make any plans, for they wanted to take him out that night, and Harry was more than happy to see them, when they finally apparated into the living room in the late afternoon of July 31st. Sirius tried to convince him to stay…but Harry was having none of it. He assured Sirius he would be fine; he would still be surrounded by other wizards, after all, before the three friends set off for the evening.

They took the floo network, as Harry had no idea where they'd be apparating to, simply calling out 'Station 462,' before being whisked off into the swirling colors. When Harry's feet hit the ground again, he stepped out of the ashes into a large, cream colored room, with people crossing by back and forth, heading to and from various other floo grates, each of which had what at first glance appeared to be a clock just above the opening. There were a dozen of them all together that Harry could see, and as he stepped off, he was surprised to see Ron hand six knuts from his pocket to a small man in blue robes, before he beckoned for Harry and Hermione to follow him.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked curiously as the three friends stepped out onto a quaint little street in the middle of Wizarding London. There were children running about and couples out for a walk in the early summer evening, as Harry, Ron and Hermione strolled by.

"That was a Floo Station," Ron replied, pleasantly. "You can use them to get around…but you have to pay a toll."

"Are there many of them?" Harry asked.

"All over the world," Hermione nodded. "Though it would cost a great deal more if you were to travel across countries and such."

"And they'd be able to tell this, how?" Harry laughed.

"The grates have dials on them, didn't you notice?" Hermione asked. "It points to the correct toll amount depending on if you've come from a local station…or someplace farther away."

"Oh," Harry replied, grinning faintly. The three continued their walk up the cobblestone road, nodding and smiling at those who passed by, before coming to a stop in front of a small, cozy looking cottage. There was a sign out front that said 'Bembley's Brilliant Banquet.'

"Here we are," Ron said, cheerfully.

Harry glanced at the building, noticing nothing extraordinary about it. It looked like any other house along the street except for the sign at the front, but it didn't matter to him. He followed his friends up the walkway, happily and the three of them stepped through the door.

The inside of the restaurant was warm and friendly. It was far more spacious than it appeared to be from the outside, stretching back further than Harry could see, and filled with witches and wizards of all sorts. There were candles along the walls, which were old and rustic looking, the hard floor was the same color as the walls, a deep, dark brown, and nearly everything was made of wood. A bar sat in the center of the room, with many stools surrounding it, most all of them occupied, and tables were scattered about all around it. Along the sides, there were booths of various sizes, all set into the wall, for privacy, each one lit by a soft, golden lantern hanging from above.

Harry looked around, smiling, already loving the restaurant, as a rather tall, thin blonde-haired man in red robes came towards them.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a wispy voice, a permanent smile etched on his face.

"Oh, yes," Ron said, stepping forward. "Um…reservations under Weasley…for four."

"Ah yes," the man nodded, knowingly. "One in your party has already arrived…right this way please," he said briskly, gesturing for the three friends to follow.

"Four?" Harry asked, curiously, as they made their way through the maze of tables and chairs.

"Mm-hmm," Ron nodded, casually. "Four."

Harry raised an eyebrow at his friend, who merely grinned back, before turning his head away to keep track of their host once again.

Less than a minute later, they were brought to a stop at one of the booths Harry had been admiring when they'd entered, to find someone sitting inside already.

"Mel," Harry smiled, as she slid out of her seat to greet them. "I didn't think you'd be able to make it…"

"It's your birthday, Harry," Mel smiled back at him, taking his hands in hers. "Did you really think I wouldn't come?"

"But…Jack," Harry began. "I don't want him to…"

"Jack will be fine for a few hours, trust me," Mel said calmly, though Harry could see the strain in her eyes. "I'm sure he'll just sleep until I get back."

"Your waiter will be with you momentarily," the host spoke up again, softly, bowing his head faintly and heading off back towards the front.

The four friends nodded, then quickly took their seats in the booth, as they were blocking up the flow of traffic taking up the aisle. Mel and Hermione took the inside corners, with Harry and Ron on the outside.

"Were you waiting here long?" Ron asked Mel once they were all situated.

"Not at all," Mel replied, shaking her head. "I thought you'd said seven…not seven-thirty…so I would have been late," she grinned. "I guess it worked out better this way."

"Ah, so that's the secret," Harry said jokingly, grinning at Mel. "We just have to tell you the wrong time from now on…"

Mel simply rolled her eyes and sighed, dramatically.

"The abuse I put up with from you…"

Harry just laughed in reply; very glad Mel was here. He'd talked to her only briefly over the last few days, to make sure she was alright after what had happened, though he hadn't told her any of what he'd found out.

"So, Ron," Mel began pleasantly, "Harry tells me you may have a job as a professional quidditch player in your future…as keeper for the Magpies…"

"That's right," Ron nodded, beaming from ear to ear.

"You mean…you got it? You're in?" Harry asked, excitedly.

"Mr. Fienman asked me if I wanted the position last night," Ron told them, a broad smile on his face.

"That's wonderful!" Mel exclaimed.

"Congratulations Ron!" Harry said, truly happy for his friend. Hermione put her hand out to where Ron's lay on the edge of the table squeezing it gently and smiling up at him, it was obvious she'd already heard his news, but she was still excited for him.

"What about you, Harry?" Ron asked after a moment. "Have you finally decided which team you're going to go for? Or has the manager of the Falcons persuaded you at last?" he joked.

"Um…no, Ron, he didn't," Harry replied, realizing he'd never mentioned anything about Dumbledore's offer to them.

"Alright, then what have you decided on?" Mel asked, smiling. "You told me you'd know in a week…and it's been a week…"

Harry glanced briefly at the smiling, expectant faces of his friends, before speaking.

"Well…interesting story, that. Professor Dumbledore asked me if I would consider going back to Hogwarts for just a year…"

"Go back? For what?" Ron asked.

"Probably to work there, silly," Hermione said, playfully, "now hush and let him finish."

"Did he offer you a specific position?" Mel asked.

"Yes," Harry replied, smirking slightly. "He wants me to teach…Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"And your answer was?" Ron asked, eagerly.

"I told him yes," Harry replied lightly but continued on quickly, "Though I truly wasn't sure at first…actually I'm still not sure. I don't know if I'll be any good at teaching and…"

"Harry that's wonderful though!" Mel exclaimed, excitedly. "Don't even worry about it…I know you'll do great!"

"Oh you know, do you?" Harry asked, teasingly.

"Yes, we do," Hermione said, confidently. "And so does Dumbledore, obviously…or he wouldn't have asked you."

"That's what Sirius said too," Harry said with a grin.

"Harry that's so wicked!" Ron said, smiling widely, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he went on, "So what does Snape think of this?"

"I'm sure he's less than pleased," Harry said, shaking his head faintly. "The last time I saw him he knew only that Dumbledore had offered the position to someone…and that that someone wasn't him. I don't know if he's heard that it's me or not…"

He trailed off as the waiter finally approached their table, greeting them politely and naming off the specials for the evening. The four of them gave their orders in turn, and the waiter took their menus from them. He thanked them briskly, before turning swiftly and striding back up the aisle.

"Well what does it matter what Snape thinks?" Mel asked with a shrug, continuing the discussion. "He can't do anything more than grumble and complain…"

"And make my life much harder…" Harry added. "Even Sirius agreed with me on that…"

"And speaking of which," Hermione began quickly. "Why was he trying to talk you out of coming tonight? And what difference does it make that you're around other witches and wizards?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Sirius tried to talk you out of coming?" Mel asked before Harry could make any reply. She was looking intently at him, searching his eyes. "This wouldn't have anything to do with those shadow things from the other day, would it?"

"Shadow things?" Ron and Hermione asked in unison, giving Harry looks identical to Mel's.

Harry shook his head, having very much wanted to avoid this topic at least for the evening. Sighing inaudibly, he spoke in a quiet voice.

"They're called Shadow Walkers, actually. They belong to the Cult of Shadows."

"Just a minute," Ron cut in quickly, looking from Mel to Harry. "What things are called Shadow Walkers? What do you two know that we don't?"

Harry looked across the table, seeing the confused, worried stares from his friends, and knew there was no way out of telling them now. Clearing his throat and keeping his voice down, he began to explain the events that had introduced both he and Mel to the Shadow Walkers. He continued on after telling of how they escaped, to the discussion he'd had with both Sirius and Marzia…and ultimately the information that Dumbledore had been able to reveal to him.

Their food arrived as he finished speaking, and their waiter set the plates down, before politely asking if they needed anything more. Ron waved him away distractedly, not noticing the chagrined expression on the waiter's face, before looking back to Harry. No one touched their food; they were all too shocked upon hearing the news.

"Harry," Hermione began worriedly, "this is serious…these Shadow Walkers…it sounds like they wanted you…wanted…to kill you…" she trailed off.

"Dumbledore said I was safe for now because they don't know where I am," Harry replied.

"For now," Mel repeated, pointedly. "It won't take them forever to find you."

"I know that," Harry replied faintly. "But if I keep myself surrounded by other magic users…it will definitely make it harder for them to find me. Plus I was able to use the crystals against them last time…"

"Harry you don't know that that will be the way it happens if they come after you again," Hermione insisted.

"Right," Ron added, nodding firmly, "Maybe the Shadow Walkers will find a way around the crystals…or maybe the crystals won't talk…"

"Look, I'm not going to go through each day being afraid," Harry said firmly. "I may not be able to control the crystals as well as I should…but they're the only defense against these things that I have. Even Snape said that if my life's in danger the crystals will do something about it…"

"Shouldn't it be you who's doing something about it?" Ron asked. "And the crystals obeying?"

"It's not like I'm not trying," Harry said, quietly. "The lessons just…aren't going well…"

"We need to find out why they think you're a traitor," Hermione said with sudden finality in her tone. "You're positive you've never seen them before, right? Even before you came to Hogwarts?"

"I think I'd remember talking to a shadow," Harry replied, jokingly.

"Harry this is serious," Mel spoke up, her voice full of concern. "You don't remember anything at all that could be connected to these things from when you were younger? Maybe…could you possibly have gotten something…a letter…or…anything at all?"

"If anything ever came for me in the post, you can bet my uncle would have disposed of it immediately," Harry said dully. "Though I get the impression that the Shadow Walkers don't send letters…"

"And I get the impression you could have been one of them," Hermione said quietly. Harry looked up at her sharply as she continued speaking, gently. "You fit the type of person they seem to look for to join them…or you did, at least. You're an orphan who never knew your parents and felt very…out of place…with the relatives you were forced to live with…not to mention their treatment of you is exactly what the Cult of Shadows seems to be against."

"For fellow shadow walkers, yes," Harry stated. "Of which I'm not one."

"But don't you see? That would be a reason they would ask you to join," Hermione said quickly. "Maybe they did ask you…" she paused, seeming to consider for a moment. "Maybe you turned them down…inadvertently…"

"How could I inadvertently turn down an offer I didn't even realize I'd been given?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at Hermione. "And why would they think I'm a traitor because of it? I'm sure not everyone who gets asked to join them accepts…"

"I don't know Harry," Hermione replied with a sigh. "I'm just trying to figure this out. What could you have done that would make the Shadow Walkers so angry at you?"

"I really don't have the slightest clue," Harry said, sitting back slowly as he spoke. "And if it's alright…can we not talk about it anymore right now? It's just that I've been over it so many times in the last few days already…"

Ron, Hermione and Mel all exchanged brief glances before looking back to Harry.

"Just tell us these things from now on, alright?" Ron asked, sincerely.

"I will," Harry nodded, knowing his friends were only acting this way out of concern. For a moment, their was an awkward silence, no one sure what to say, when Mel cleared her throat softly.

"I think…my food is cold," she said, disdainfully.

"Well now you know how it feels then," Harry said, a wry grin on his face. "After all the times I had to put up with cold meals last year because somebody just had to eat in the classrooms that were the farthest from the kitchen…"

"Oh don't even bring that up again," Mel laughed, giving Harry a look of warning.

"The tower, Ron," Harry continued, dramatically, looking imploringly at his friend. "She would choose to eat all the way up in the north tower…"

"From the kitchen?" Ron asked, a look of mock horror on his face.

"I like the view," Mel said, defensively, a tiny grin on her face.

"Besides," Hermione put in, "You didn't have to get hot food, Harry. You could have done a sandwich or a salad or something…"

"What is it with women and salads?" Ron asked, shaking his head in disgust.

"I don't understand it either," Harry shook his head sympathetically, just before Mel swatted him on the arm. "And all this hitting…" he added, playfully.

"You're right," Mel said, looking down, guiltily. "I shouldn't hit you…" she trailed off, looking back up at him, mischievously. "Next time I'll just hex you…"

"Now there's an idea," Hermione said, smiling sweetly at Ron, who looked back at her wide-eyed before turning to Harry and whispering.

"Harry…I'm sorry but I won't be inviting Mel out with us anymore…she's a bad influence on my girlfriend…"

Mel, who had been sipping her water, nearly spat it out with laughter as Ron spoke. She crumpled up her napkin and flung it softly at him, as Hermione began laughing too.

The night continued on cheerfully, the four friends having fun chatting and joking with one another. And no one brought up the topic of the Shadow Walkers for the rest of the evening.

"I'm glad you came tonight," Harry said, smiling softly at Mel when they'd apparated back to her house. When the night had finally come to a close, the four friends had taken the short walk back to the Floo Station, where Ron and Hermione had taken one of the grates back to the Burrow. Harry thanked them gratefully for everything, and told them he'd talk to them soon, before he and Mel had left together.

"I'm still surprised you didn't think I would," Mel replied with a smirk.

"It's just that I know you have a lot going on right now," Harry explained quickly.

"Well, not nearly as much as you at the moment," Mel said, suddenly appearing serious. "You probably shouldn't stay long, now that I'm thinking about it…this is a muggle neighborhood, Harry. It isn't safe for you here…"

"I'm not going to let these things keep me from seeing you," Harry said, firmly.

"I'll still see you," Mel said quickly. "I'll come visit…"

"We both know how often you'll be able to do that," Harry said quietly, knowing that it was very hard for Mel to get time to herself right now. She was the only one of her family even trying to help Jack during these last few months he had left, which Harry found utterly despicable.

"There's nothing I can do about that…" Mel began, looking down as she spoke.

"No, no," Harry interrupted quickly. "I wasn't asking you to…not at all. I know how important Jack is to you, and I would never ask you to do anything that would take away from your time with him. I'm just saying that I know this is how it is for you right now…which means…"

"I'll still see you Harry," Mel repeated softly, cutting him off. "But your safety is more important than us spending time together."

Harry clenched his teeth against the protest wanting to escape him, and nodded gently. As much as he hated to admit it, part of him was afraid to run into the Shadow Walkers again. At least when he was up against Voldemort, he knew the reason that the dark wizard was after him, but with the shadows…he had no idea.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Mel spoke again softly. "But you should really get home now, just to be on the safe side…"

"Alright," Harry nodded, reluctantly. "I'll talk to you after I get back…I'm going to Diagon Alley with Sirius tomorrow. I need to pick out the books I'm going to use for classes and such…"

"Sounds fun," Mel grinned, slowly moving closer to him, placing her hands on his arms, sliding them towards his neck. He slid his arms around her, leaning his head down as she lifted hers and they kissed, softly at first, but becoming more passionate as the seconds ticked by. Harry didn't care about anything at that moment, and he deepened the kiss, stepping forward and drawing her closer to him. Mel slid her feet back slightly, but Harry moved with her, the two of them breathing heavily as they kissed again and again, only when Mel's back came up against the wall in the foyer did they stop for a moment, as Mel turned her head away.

"You have to go," she barely whispered, pulling her hands away from him slowly as she spoke.

"I don't want to," Harry whispered back, her taste lingering in his mouth as he leant his head softly against hers, their breathing echoing in the hall.

"And I don't want you to," Mel said after a brief moment, "But you have to." Harry felt her hands pressing against his shoulders, pushing him away gently. Nodding faintly, he took a step back, seeing the reluctance he was feeling mirrored in her eyes.

"Goodnight Harry," Mel spoke again, softly, a small smile on her lips.

"Goodnight Mel," Harry replied, looking at her for a long moment, before finally taking a deep breath, and disapparating.

The next morning, Harry was shaken awake gently by Sirius, as he heard his godfather's voice.

"Harry, c'mon…it's nearly time to leave and you're still in bed."

"I know," Harry murmured back, sleepily, a lazy grin on his face. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Oh brother," Sirius replied, rolling his eyes and laughing. "That's it…up. Now. Or I'll have to take extreme measures."

Harry rolled over slowly, squinting up at his godfather.

"You w-w-wouldn't…" he yawned, stretching his arms above him.

"If you think that, then you're forgetting who you're talking to," Sirius replied with a mischievous grin on his face, fingering the pocket he always kept his wand in.

"Alright, alright," Harry laughed, propping himself up on his elbows. "See? I'm awake. But only because you don't play fair…"

"What?" Sirius exclaimed in mock outrage.

"You're saying you'll attack me while I'm wandless," Harry said, smiling. "I'd say that's not quite fair…"

"Now, now…I never said I'd attack you…" Sirius said, smirking.

"Oh…right," Harry replied, rolling his eyes and laughing as he reached for his glasses. "Not attacking…just…extreme measures. And believe me when I say I do not want to know what your idea of [Iextreme measures[/I is."

"Well, that's understandable," Sirius said, smugly, a big, toothy grin on his face. "I do have a reputation, you know…"

"Several of them, actually," Harry replied as he pushed the covers away and swung his legs over the opposite side from where his godfather was sitting.

"Yes, several of…[Iwhat?[/I" Sirius asked, stopping abruptly, and narrowing his eyes in playful suspicion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Not a thing," Harry said, an innocently shocked expression on his face. "Do you mind? I need to get dressed…" he trailed off, turning away from his godfather as he was unable to keep a straight face any longer.

"Oh, don't worry," Sirius said with a grin, standing up and heading for the door. "I'll get you back…"

Harry shook his head and laughed silently as he heard the door to his room open and close. He grabbed pants and a t-shirt out of his closet, before changing quickly. He slipped his wand into his pocket and headed to his trunk, calling on the crystals. Once he was dressed and ready, he crossed the room to the door, and headed downstairs.

"Good morning, Harry," Marzia said as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Morning," he replied, grinning.

"Ready?" Sirius asked, as he stood up from his seat at the table. Harry nodded, grabbing a few strips of bacon from the frying pan on the stove, and a piece of toast from the plate just next to it, before turning around again.

"Ready," he replied, through a mouthful of bread.

"Let's use floo powder to get there," Sirius said, walking into the living room, Harry following just behind. He grabbed the jar of it on the mantle and opened it carefully, holding it out to Harry first.

"Have fun," Marzia called out from the doorway to the kitchen.

"See you in a bit," Sirius replied, smiling back at her.

"Bye," Harry called, polishing off the end of the bacon in his hand. Sirius pulled out his wand, starting a small fire in the hearth, before stepping back and allowing Harry to toss in his handful. He waited for the flames to go a brilliant shade of green, before stepping into them.

"Diagon Alley," he called out clearly, followed by the familiar feeling of weightlessness, and the swirling rush of colors.

"Flourish and Blotts?" Sirius asked as they stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron together.

"Yes," Harry nodded, looking again at the list Dumbledore had sent him as Sirius began to tap the wall. "I have so many books to look through…"

"Well we have time, don't worry," Sirius winked as the wall began to shift in front of them. "When did Minerva say she wanted your list by?"

"She just said as soon as possible," Harry replied. "So I really want to have it all done by today…they're already sending the school letters out late as it is…"

"Yes I'd imagine everything's a bit hectic at Hogwarts this summer," Sirius nodded as they began walking up the busy street towards the bookshop. "So many changes happening."

"I know," Harry nodded faintly. "I'm sure it's got to be very stressful for McGonagall right now…what with suddenly having to run the school and find a replacement for both transfiguration and head of Gryffindor."

"Well for house heads, it has to be an instructor. You don't just hire someone for that position, you choose one of the professors who used to belong to that house."

"Well, what instructors that currently work there used to be in Gryffindor?" Harry asked. "Obviously it can't be Snape, Flitwick or Sprout…"

"Right," Sirius nodded. "I know Professor Binns was in Ravenclaw…and I have no idea whatsoever about Trelawny though I doubt very much that Minerva would ever choose her for anything."

"No definitely not," Harry laughed. "She doesn't like her very much, I've noticed."

"Well who does?" Sirius replied with a grin. "With the exception of the few misguided students that are actually impressed with her acting skills…"

"Alright so who else then?" Harry continued as they finally reached to entrance to Flourish and Blotts. "Wasn't Hagrid in Gryffindor?"

"Hagrid can't be house head," Sirius replied quickly. "Anyone who was expelled is instantly disqualified from that position."

"But he was framed…" Harry began.

"I know that, Harry," Sirius said gently. "But it doesn't change the fact that it happened."

"Yes, you're right…" Harry nodded faintly, walking slowly through the aisles of books, scanning them quickly as he moved along. "Well who else is there, then?"

"I'm not sure," Sirius replied, shaking his head. "I know the Arithmancy instructor didn't attend Hogwarts so it can't be him. The Muggle Studies and Study of Ancient Runes professors are from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff…"

"Then who's left?" Harry asked.

"You," Sirius said brightly, a wide smile suddenly crossing his face.

"Oh no," Harry said, shaking his head slowly. "She would have asked me by now, I'm sure…it can't be me. Maybe it'll be whoever she hires to teach Transfiguration…"

"Well, that's a possibility," Sirius said with a nod. "But I still think there's a good chance that…"

"No Sirius," Harry cut him off, smirking at him. "Don't even entertain the thought…if they'd wanted me to be the head of Gryffindor someone would have mentioned it by now, right? No, I'm sure it isn't going to be me."

"I don't know Harry," Sirius said in a tauntingly playful voice. "We were just saying how hectic things must be at the school…it could easily have slipped someone's mind…"

"Yes, but not McGonagall's," Harry said, firmly. "Look let's just start looking for books, ey? I really want to get my list to her tonight, if at all possible."

"Whatever you say," Sirius replied, grinning widely. Harry simply laughed at him, shaking his head faintly and turning away, ready to throw himself into the task before him. Sirius took the second parchment and went to the opposite side of the shelf from Harry to begin helping with the search. Only a few minutes had gone by, however, when Harry heard a very familiar voice from just beside him.

"What are you doing here?"

Harry looked up sharply to see Draco Malfoy standing a few feet away, looking questioningly at him.

"Looking for books, what does it look like?" Harry replied, flatly. He and Draco had been somewhat forced into working with each other during their seventh year at Hogwarts, though their relationship still wasn't quite what you would call that of friends.

"Yeah thanks, I can see that," Draco replied, sardonically.

"Well then why did you ask?" Harry said quickly.

"Because those look like school books to me," Draco replied, a sly grin on his face, "What happened? Did you get left back or something?"

"No, I didn't," Harry replied casually. "But thanks so much for asking, maybe we can chat again sometime."

"A bit cross today, are we Potter?" Draco asked, smirking as Harry began to turn away. Harry stopped for a moment, realizing he had reacted a bit harshly towards Malfoy without any real reason.

"It's just been a long week," Harry replied with a shrug, turning back to face Draco fully again. "Sorry."

"Snape been lashing out at you too?" Malfoy asked.

"Snape?" Harry replied, curiously. "No, I haven't seen him for about a week now…I'll be seeing him tomorrow though, why?"

"Well he's been stopping by my house more often lately, for our lessons. But for the past few days he's been just unbearable…he's always angry and just has no patience whatsoever."

"And you say this is strange behavior for him?" Harry asked with a wry grin.

"Towards me it is!" Draco replied insistently.

"Well now you get to know the real Snape," Harry said, smirking, before glancing back down at the list he was holding. "I think I'm in the wrong section for some of these," he muttered softly, glancing distractedly around the store. He started to walk forward, slipping past Draco and heading out of the aisle they were in. "So," he began as he moved, "what are you doing here, anyway?"

"I needed to pick up a book," Draco replied, following Harry towards the end of the aisle they were in. "For work."

"Oh, really?" Harry asked, stepping out past the shelves and looking over his shoulder towards Malfoy. "Where do you work?"

But before he could hear Draco's reply, he felt something shove roughly into him from behind, pushing him forward to his knees as he dropped the few books he'd been holding and slammed his hands to the floor a split second before his face hit it. His glasses clattered harmlessly to the wooden floor as Harry pushed himself up slightly. He winced inaudibly as he felt a sudden weight on his legs, and realized that whatever had crashed into him had partly landed on top of him, and was now pushing themselves up.

Grabbing his glasses and slipping them on, Harry drew his legs up underneath him as he turned over and started to stand, not failing to catch the amused expression on Malfoy's face as he did so. He ignored Draco, however, and turned towards the person who was now briskly collecting the scattering of books they had dropped.

"Here, let me help," Harry said quickly, leaning down to help the man.

"No," the man spat fiercely, looking directly into Harry's eyes as he spoke. He had scruffy red hair that hung just below his ears and piercing blue eyes, which were glaring angrily at Harry. He was only slightly taller than Harry, and he appeared young enough to be the same age as well.

"I…but…I'm…" Harry stammered, completely taken aback by the redhead's obvious irritation. It had been this man who had knocked Harry over, after all, not the other way around.

"Do you mind?" the man spoke again harshly, as he finished collecting his books and now stood facing Harry. "You're in my way."

Harry simply stared back at him confused, but slowly stepped aside, and the man stalked past him briskly.

"Another fan of yours, Potter?" Malfoy asked cockily as the two stood looking after him.

"Oh yeah," Harry joked, shaking his head and shrugging off the man's rudeness as nothing more than that. "Couldn't you tell how happy he was to see me?" He leant down; quickly grabbing the few books that he'd dropped, and again headed across to the next aisle, to continue his search. "So you were saying," he asked Malfoy again as he started scanning through book titles. "Where is it you work now?"

"The Ministry of Magic," Draco replied casually. "I've been there for about a month now."

"Doing what?" Harry asked, pulling another book off the shelf.

"Working with cursed objects, actually," Draco replied. "Trying to experiment using new counter-curses and such."

"Do you like doing that?" Harry asked.

"It's a job," Draco shrugged. "It'll do for now."

Harry simply nodded, not bothering to press any further into Draco's personal business, but glad to hear he didn't seem to be following in his father's footsteps by taking over his old position at the ministry. And he didn't dare bring up Lucius in conversation; he knew it was still a sore subject for Draco.

"So are you going to tell me why you're looking through what seems to be all of our old school books?" Malfoy asked, nodding towards the small stack in Harry's arms.

"Well," Harry began, "remember how you were saying Snape seemed more irritated than usual lately?"

"Yeah," Draco shrugged. "So?"

"Do you know why?" Harry asked.

"I don't exactly invite him over for tea and a chat now do I?" Draco replied, rolling his eyes. "I have no idea…why?"

"Dumbledore asked me to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year," Harry stated quickly.

"Oh," Draco nodded slowly, realization dawning in his eyes. "Yes that explains it," he said, an almost wicked glint shining in his eyes. "Have fun this year, Potter," he said tauntingly.

Harry ignored Draco's comment, shaking his head and beginning to flip through the pages of the book he'd just taken off the shelf.

"Look I really have to get through all of this list today," he began, distractedly.

"Yes, I have to be on my way as well," Draco replied curtly. Without another word, he turned away from where Harry stood, crossing to the front of the store to speak with the clerk at the front desk. Harry watched him go for a brief second, before turning his attention once more, back to the books.

He spent hours rummaging through row upon row of books on the dark arts, his head beginning to ache from all the reading, but he refused to stop. Sirius would check in with him every so often with any books he would find that looked promising, and finally, just as the sun was beginning to set, Harry had put together what he felt would be a good set of books to use for his course.

After taking the short stack of books up to the clerk and paying for them, Harry and Sirius left the bookstore, and headed back to the Leaky Cauldron. During their walk, Harry told Sirius of his conversation with Draco, not mentioning the small spat with the man who had knocked him over, as the incident was all but forgotten by now.

When they'd finally arrived back at their house, Harry went immediately up to his room, and composed a letter to McGonagall, listing the books he wished to use for Defense Against the Dark Arts that year. When he'd finished and Hedwig was sent on her way with the delivery, he made his way back downstairs for dinner.

No sooner had he entered the kitchen, however, then he heard a soft knock at the door, and he changed course, starting towards it.

"Expecting company?" Harry heard Sirius ask of Marzia as he reached the door.

"No," Marzia replied, quickly, and the two of them came out of the kitchen just as Harry turned the handle, pulling the door open.

"Mel," Harry breathed softly, seeing instantly that she had been crying.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Harry," Mel said, her voice hoarse.

"No, no you're not," Harry replied immediately, taking one of her hands and leading her inside, letting the door swing shut softly behind them.

"Mel, sweetie, what's wrong?" Marzia asked, rushing over to her other side and putting a comforting arm around the younger girl.

"I don't know what to do," Mel said, her voice starting to hitch as she spoke and she allowed herself to be lowered onto the long couch, Harry staying right beside her. Marzia sat down on the couch as well, and Sirius took the chair facing them. "I found this…earlier today…" she stammered, sniffing softly as she held out a damp piece of paper to Harry. Sirius conjured up a handkerchief instantly, holding it out to Mel, which she accepted gratefully.

Harry looked at Mel, worriedly, as he took the letter softly from her grasp, and began to read.

Harry's heart went out to Mel as he scanned the contents of the note in his hand, and he pulled her closer to him as he lowered the letter.

"When did you say you found this?" he asked gently.

"A few hours ago," Mel sniffled softly, dabbing at her eyes with the handkerchief. "I just don't understand why he…he…" she began hitching, unable to complete the sentence, and Harry shushed her gently, letting her cry against him.

"It's alright," he whispered soothingly, knowing full well it was not, but he had to try and calm her down for now.

"What does the letter say?" Sirius asked quietly. Harry lifted his hand, holding the delicate piece of paper out for his godfather to take, thinking over what it had said.

Jack had decided he didn't want to be a burden to Mel any longer. She'd cared for him when his parents would not, but still he felt that shouldn't be her job, and had made the decision to leave before his health got any worse.

"I looked for him everywhere I thought he might be," Mel whispered hoarsely after both Sirius and Marzia had read through the letter. "I'd had the car with me, so at first I thought he couldn't have gotten far…but he must've gotten a ride from one of his friends or something while I was out. He's asked them not to stop by as often…doesn't like them to see him like this…but that's the only thing I can think of that would have gotten him so far away so quickly."

"I know you probably don't want to hear this question," Marzia began gently, placing a comforting hand on Mel's shoulder, "but have you told your parents about this?"

"Yes," Mel nodded weakly. "I went to their house when I couldn't find Jack at any of the places he used to go…I don't even know if he has money on him, or a place to stay…and he…he didn't…his…" she stammered, getting herself worked up again.

"Mel, please, don't do this to yourself," Harry whispered gently, hugging her tightly to him, feeling her shaking beneath his arms.

"His medicine," Mel finally managed to get out. "For his pain…he didn't take it with him…and my parents didn't do anything to help. They said they can't control what Jack does, and he can make his own decisions. They didn't even try to look for him…" she trailed off, bitterly.

"Then don't think about them," Sirius said firmly. "We'll do whatever we can to help you, Mel. Don't worry about it for another second."

"Thank you," Mel whispered weakly, looking gratefully across at Sirius. "But I don't know that there's anything else I can do…I've been thinking about this since I left my parents' house. I don't know where Jack is, none of his friends that I've managed to find can seem to tell me anything, and…and even if I did find him…I don't know that I could make him return."

"You can make him return, though," Sirius said softly. "If you really needed to…"

"No, I could never force him," Mel said looking almost afraid of the thought, "especially not using magic. He'd hate me then…I don't want him to…to die…angry with me," she sobbed.

"Don't think about it now," Harry said softly. "You need to rest before you make any decisions about what to do next…I can see how tired you are…" he trailed off as she rested her head back down against his shoulder.

"It's just that he doesn't have much time left…" Mel said, tearfully. "And he didn't…he didn't even let me say goodbye…"

Harry didn't reply, he just held Mel against him, letting her cry. The truth was he couldn't help but feel angry towards Jack for what he'd done. While Mel would have been against it, if Jack had told her he wanted to leave she wouldn't have stopped him in the long run…but leaving her a note and taking off was insensitive and wrong.

"You're staying here tonight, sweetie," Marzia spoke up then, rubbing Mel's back comfortingly as she spoke. "You shouldn't have to spend the night alone."

"Oh…no, no," Mel said thickly, looking suddenly exhausted as she stared tiredly up at Marzia. Her eyes were red and dark bags were only just visible underneath them, "I don't want to be any tr-tr-trouble…" she trailed off, unable to stifle a very large yawn.

"Don't be silly," Marzia replied with a reassuring grin. "You're always welcome here. Besides, I insist."

"I second that," Sirius spoke up, smiling gently at Mel. "I'll go get your bed set up now," he said, standing from his seat and heading for the stairs.

"And I'll put on some tea," Marzia said, heading out to the kitchen.

"And I'll stay with you," Harry said tenderly, resting his chin lightly against Mel's soft hair. "For as long as you need me to."

"I don't know what to do, Harry," Mel whispered sadly, faint tears running down her face and staining his now soaked shirt.

"Don't think about it right now," Harry whispered back, holding her close, "I'm here for you…whatever you need, I'm right there beside you, but you need to get some rest before we do anything. You're exhausted Mel…and I don't want you…" he trailed off, the sounds of her deep breathing reaching his ears in an instant. She'd fallen asleep against his chest in a matter of seconds.

Harry smiled lovingly down at her, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face, his fingertips caressing her soft skin as he did so. He kissed the top of her forehead, her sweet scent that he loved so much filling him entirely.

"Out already, is she?" Marzia's voice whispered. Harry glanced up slowly to see her standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching them and smiling softly.

"Yes," he nodded faintly, not wanting to wake her up with any sudden movements.

"Alright," Sirius called out, as his heavy feet began to thud down the stairs. "You're all…"

"Shhh!" Marzia hushed him instantly, rushing towards the stairs and gesturing for him to keep it down. For a moment, everyone went utterly still, but Mel hadn't even flinched in her slumber.

"Wow," Harry whispered, smirking up at his godfather. "She must be a very deep sleeper to have slept through all that clatter…"

"You just keep your mouth shut," Sirius replied, smirking back at his godson. "Would you like me to bring her upstairs?"

"No, I'll take her," Harry replied softly, not really wanting to move Mel for fear it might wake her up, but knowing she needed a good night's rest. Moving slowly, Harry slipped his left arm under her legs, his right arm already around her back, and gently scooped her up off the couch. He paused for a moment, making sure he had a firm hold on her, before starting towards the stairs.

Carefully he made his way up, and started quickly for the room just next to his. The bed, that was normally dismantled and in the room's large closet, was against the far wall and made up with fresh, clean sheets.

Lowering Mel onto the soft mattress, he rested her head against the feathery pillows and slipped his arms out from under her, before moving down to the end of the bed. Gently, he slipped her small shoes off of her feet, and placed them against the wall by the foot of the bed.

"Sweet dreams, Mel," Harry whispered softly as he leant down, kissing her briefly. She let out a faint moan, rolling over on her side as she did so, but Harry was glad to see how relaxed she looked. Moving quietly, he crept back across the room, looking over his shoulder at her once more, before he extinguished the candle by the door, and stepped through into the hall.

The following day, Mel thanked Harry, Sirius and Marzia for their help, but told them she had to be getting back home. If Jack, for whatever reason, tried to reach her, she wanted to be there, and she was considering going out to look for him again.

Harry wanted to go with her, to help or just to be there for her, but no sooner had the offer left his mouth than all three people in the room with him told him no.

"You know you can't be out in the open like that," Sirius said gently.

"Surrounded only by muggles," Marzia added.

Harry grudgingly nodded, feeling all too frustrated with the situation and how very rapidly it was starting to control his life. Mel pulled him aside just before she left, to thank him again for all he'd done for her. She assured him she would be fine, and would let him know if anything changed or if she heard from Jack, before kissing him good-bye, and disapparating, back to her house.

Harry didn't have much time to think on the events of late, however, as it was nearly time for Snape to arrive for their weekly lesson. Sirius and Marzia were going into Diagon Alley that day, to pick up a few things they were out of around the house, and to make sure, as always, that they weren't around to distract Harry from his lesson.

"I'm going to take your robes with me too," Marzia said to Harry coming into his room as he was about to grab the trunk of crystals to bring them downstairs. "You can keep one set of them with the Gryffindor badge on it, but McGonagall made it clear that as a professor you had to wear the Hogwarts badge on your robes during all classes."

"Yes, I know," Harry nodded, "thanks for taking them."

"It's no trouble," Marzia grinned. "They all fit you alright still? Nothing needs to be altered?"

"No, they're fine," Harry replied. "It's only been a few months since I've worn them and they fit me just fine then."

"Good," Marzia said, carefully laying four of Harry's robes over her arm, flattening them against each other so they wouldn't wrinkle. "Have fun tonight," she said playfully as she winked at Harry and started for the door.

"Oh right," Harry called after her, sardonically, "I'm sure this will be the highlight of my week…" Shaking his head and laughing quietly, Harry drew out his wand; he lifted his trunk off the floor, and directed it out into the hall quickly. Once he was in the den, he set the chest down gently, and checked his watch. Snape should be there any second.

Leaning against one arm of the couch, Harry waited, wondering how exactly this lesson would go. If Snape knew that Harry was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, which by now was a definite possibility, than he would most certainly be less than bearable. Harry shook his head, thinking there was nothing to be done about Snape's behavior now, he could only hope it wouldn't have any negative effects on the lessons, as they were unproductive enough as it was.

As the minutes ticked by, and Snape still hadn't arrived, Harry began to wonder what could be keeping him. If Snape couldn't make it by the time they'd set up he'd always let Harry know in the past, it wasn't like him to just not show up.

No sooner had the thought crossed Harry's mind however, than a loud popping sound filled the air and Snape apparated into the room, several feet from where Harry stood.

"Professor Snape," Harry said, stepping away from the couch towards his guest, "I was getting worried."

"What for?" Snape nearly spat at him, and Harry could see the fresh anger in the potion master's eyes. He had to force himself not to take a step back as he spoke again.

"Well…you're late…and I…"

"A few minutes is no reason to sound any alarms, Potter," Snape replied, curtly, sneering at him.

"I realize that," Harry said, keeping his voice steady, "but you're nearly half an hour late…"

"If I'm late it's really none of your concern, Potter," Snape replied, harshly, "I have many important things to do with my time besides visit you."

"I wouldn't exactly call this a friendly visit," Harry said evenly, feeling a twinge of anger as he spoke.

"And if you'd been listening, you might have realized I never said it was a friendly visit…merely a visit, a most unwanted one I might add…" he trailed off darkly, before snapping his eyes up to meet Harry's own once more. "Well are you ready, then? I don't want to be here all day."

"I have the crystals right here," Harry said quietly, pointing to the trunk just behind him.

"Then I suggest you call on them so we can get on with this," Snape said, impatiently.

Harry, however, didn't move. He glared darkly at Snape for a brief moment before speaking firmly.

"What's wrong, Professor Snape? We both know that we're not going to get anywhere in this lesson the way it's starting off."

"I've already said, it's none of your concern, Potter," Snape hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"I think it is," Harry said quickly, before he lost his nerve, "as it's delayed our lesson by more than half an hour already I'd say it is my concern, because now it's affecting my time as well as yours."

Harry didn't think it was possible for Snape to appear more furious than he had been, but he was wrong. The potions master looked positively enraged, and he slowly advanced on Harry, stalking aggressively across the room. Harry hated how Snape still towered over him by several inches, as he glared up at his rigid form and dark eyes.

"Call on the crystals now, Mr. Potter," Snape hissed, icily. "I refuse to discuss my personal affairs with you because you feel you are owed an explanation."

Harry remained perfectly still, his gaze fixed on Snape's, getting the distinct feeling he knew exactly what was causing today's tantrum. The Defense Against the Dark Arts position.

"I don't have all day, Mr. Potter," Snape said curtly. "If you don't mind…"

"Fine," Harry said flatly, turning on the spot and bending down to unlock the trunk. He didn't know why, but he felt Snape must have been late after speaking with either Dumbledore or McGonagall about the Dark Arts position, but what Harry didn't know, was whether or not Snape knew that he, Harry, was the one who had been offered it. He shook the thought from his head, however, and quickly called upon the crystals as the lid of the chest swung open. As he stood up and turned to face Snape, however, he immediately noticed the expression on the potion master's face had changed. He was still quite angry, but now he looked both shocked and defeated as well.

"Professor Snape?" Harry asked, confused by what could have caused this strange mood swing. "Are you…?"

"Tonight's session is cancelled," Snape spoke, barely a whisper, but with a definite edge in his voice.

"What? Why?" Harry exclaimed as Snape snatched up his coat, which he'd thrown over the back of the couch only moments ago.

The potions master offered no reply, however, and didn't even give Harry a second glance, before disapparating from the room.

Harry stood there in stunned silence for a long moment, wondering what on earth could have caused Snape to react the way he did, when suddenly it came to him, hitting him like a ton of bricks.

Snape must have caught one of his thoughts again, and this time, it had been the one thing Harry would want to keep from him above all else. Snape had heard Harry thinking about how he'd been offered the Dark Arts position…he knew Harry had gotten it over him.

Sighing in frustration, Harry called the crystals back immediately, not in the mood to hear their endless banter at the moment, and placed them back into the trunk, before flopping over the arm of the sofa, and lying back on the comfortable surface.

This was a mess, obviously. He'd have to tell Sirius what happened…possibly even Dumbledore. Snape had just up and left before they'd had a chance to begin their lesson, and Harry had no doubt he'd do it again, for the same reasons. Bringing his hands up to his head, Harry ran his fingers through his mass of black hair, and waited for the others to return.

"I can't believe how childish that man is," Sirius spoke in quiet disgust as Harry finished explaining what had happened during his brief visit with Snape. The two men and Marzia were all standing near the fireplace, as Harry had told them of the evening's events the moment they'd arrived. "I know he's angry, but to just leave like that…"

"Sirius, calm down," Marzia said firmly, putting a gentle hand on his arm, seeing he was getting himself worked up. "It was probably just a shock for him to find out…if that is, in fact, what caused him to leave."

"Marzia, this is Snape's responsibility," Sirius shot back, seeming annoyed, "his duty. He can't just decide he isn't going to help Harry because he's unhappy that he didn't get what he wanted. His little temper tantrum isn't going to get him anywhere."

"I'm not saying what he did was right, Sirius," Marzia relied, sharply. "But we all know how badly Snape wants that Dark Arts position…his reaction doesn't exactly come as a surprise."

"He should know better," Sirius said, refusing to give up the argument. "This is too important…"

"Sirius, it's fine," Harry spoke up at last, not wanting to hear them argue any longer. "Dumbledore asked me to stop by and see him at the ministry tomorrow, I'll ask him what he thinks I should do."

"You shouldn't have to be asking him though," Sirius insisted, still very irritated. "If that man would just let go of this stupid grudge…"

"Oh you mean just like you've done for him?" Marzia asked, wryly. "Forgive and forget now, is it?"

Sirius looked at Marzia, utterly speechless for a brief moment, his eyes widening in surprise, before his face slowly broke out into a large grin.

"You need to stop doing that," he said reprovingly, slipping an arm around her slim waste and pulling her closer.

"Stop doing what?" Marzia inquired, innocently.

"Pointing out when I'm wrong," Sirius replied, keeping an entirely straight face. "I really don't like to be wrong, you know…"

"So I've noticed," Marzia replied, trying not to laugh.

"Thank you," Harry spoke up, smiling at Marzia as she winked back at him.

"Hey!" Sirius cried, feigning insult. "Whose side are you on?"

"Whichever one doesn't give me a headache," Harry replied with an innocent shrug, then before Sirius could make a reply, he slipped quickly past his godfather and Marzia. "Well you two probably want to be alone…and I need to get this back upstairs…" he said quickly, before lifting the trunk of crystals with the use of his wand, and starting up for his room.

"Dinner's in an hour," Marzia called out after him.

"Which you won't be getting any of!" Sirius called out, pretending to be strict.

"Oh let him be," Marzia admonished him, swatting at his arm. "Or there'll be something you won't be getting any of either."

Harry simply laughed to himself, hearing their banter grow fainter as he finally reached the door to his room, and stepped inside.

The next morning Harry woke up early, and quickly dressed in a set of plain blue robes. He would have preferred to wear anything other than this, however he felt it was necessary. He'd never been inside the Ministry building in his life, but he suspected it would be a good idea on his part to wear robes rather than a pair of jeans.

Doing his best to flatten his persistently unruly hair to no avail, Harry went through his usual morning routine, collecting his wand, his watch and the crystals, before heading downstairs.

As it was the weekend, both Sirius and Marzia were still asleep, so Harry grabbed a quick piece of toast, before taking the floo network to the ministry building. He stepped out into the surprisingly busy atrium, which was very sharp and pointed looking. Everything was made of marble in blue, gray and black tones. There were giant, towering pillars that stretched up several stories to the spherical ceiling, which was made of glass, and a row of windows all along the entire first floor as far as he could see.

Harry didn't want to waste any more time however, as he wasn't sure exactly how long Dumbledore would be able to speak with him, and set off through the throngs of people, making his way to the front desk.

"Help you?" the young woman attending the desk asked absently, without looking up as Harry approached her.

"Yes…I'm…um…I have a meeting with Prof…er…Albus Dumbledore," Harry stammered, feeling a bit thick at the moment. The young woman still didn't look up at Harry, quite consumed with what looked to be a fashion magazine in front of her on the desk. She nodded her head, her short brown hair shifting as she did so, and replied in a monotonous tone.

"Yes he said he'd be expecting you…sixth floor, take a left."

"Thank you," Harry murmured quietly, before stepping away and taking a glance around. He spotted a door several feet away that was labeled 'Stairs' which as far as he could tell, seemed to be the only way up. Deciding it was probably better than whatever enchanted alternative to an elevator the wizarding world might come up with, Harry started towards the door, pushing it open with a shrill squealing noise, and making his way up.

It was obvious immediately that no one ever used the stairs in this building, they were very sturdy, but dusty. The lights were very dim, and Harry had to count the levels as he rose through them, due to the fact that the signs showing the floor he was on were too dirty to read clearly. When at last he reached the sixth floor, he noticed with faint amusement that there was a heavily locked broom closet just beside the door that led out into the hall. Obviously, no one found it necessary to clean the stairway, period. Laughing quietly to himself, he knew he must've missed whatever way it was that wizards normally used to get from floor to floor in this building, but didn't think much on it as he pushed the door open and stepped through.

Harry started off to his left in the utterly vacant corridor, unsure of where to go from here. The woman at the desk had said to go left, though Harry was now realizing she must have assumed he wouldn't be taking the stairs. Moving slowly, he searched the walls and doors, for any signs that might indicate which way the head minister's office would be, when he heard a spiteful voice call out from just a few feet behind him.

"Lost, Mr. Potter?" the sneering voice asked.

Harry spun around to find Marshall Thurston standing nearby, a stiff expression on his bony face. Despite an appearance that suggested he was quite old, Thurston always spoke demandingly, with a severe, sharp look to his features.

"Hello Mr. Thurston," Harry said politely, nodding at the tall, gray-haired man. "I was just on my way to see Albus Dumbledore."

"Well you're going the wrong way," Thurston replied curtly, a taunting gleam in his dark brown eyes. "Not that I'd expect you to ask for help for something as small as this…Harry Potter never needs help…"

"Well thanks so much for all of yours," Harry replied, scathingly as he started towards Thurston, intending to simply pass him by and continue his search.

"Oh so this is an important meeting you have scheduled?" Thurston asked, seeing Harry's rush to get by and ignoring his comment. "He's not sworn in as head minister yet, you know. And such a pity it is that you won't be here to see it happen."

Harry stopped in his tracks, narrowing his eyes at Thurston.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, quietly.

"Only that the ceremony takes place on September 1st," Thurston replied with a smug grin. "You'll be at Hogwarts, won't you? I heard you'll be teaching at the school this year. Defense Against the Dark Arts, correct?"

"That's right," Harry replied, stiffly. "How do you know?"

"I may not have been elected head minister," Thurston replied, his expression darkening, "but I'm still a very important member of the ministry. Dumbledore may not need my approval for who he hires at that school…but he still has an obligation to inform certain individual of his decisions."

"I'm sure he does," Harry replied with a nod, wanting the conversation to be over. Thurston lifted his head up, sticking his pointy nose in the air arrogantly.

"Take a right at that corner, pass the grates on your left and it's the first door on your right," he said, gesturing at the corridor beyond Harry. "I'll be seeing you, Mr. Potter," he added with an ominous smirk, before turning briskly, his robes lashing out around him as he moved, and stalking down the hall.

Harry stared after him for a moment, shaking his head as he watched the older man go, before turning back around and starting off in the direction Thurston had pointed him. He saw the oversized grates immediately, and assumed they must be the way any other wizard would have taken to reach this floor, before he came across the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

Raising his hand, he gave a gentle knock, before pushing the door open slowly.

"Harry," Dumbledore's voice floated over to him, pleasantly. "Come in, please."

"Good morning Albus," Harry said, grinning. He still couldn't get used to calling Professor Dumbledore by his first name, but he wasn't having as much trouble remembering to do so anymore.

"As you can see, this office is still slightly out of order," Dumbledore chuckled, gesturing to where several boxes lay in the corner of the room. "But I am working on it."

Harry glanced around the cluttered office. He recognized a great many items that he would always see when he visited the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. It would be very strange not to see them there this year. Fawkes' perch was set up already, and the phoenix was busy preening away at its brilliant red feathers. There were several trinkets on the desk that he remembered from before, an antique bronze clock, a crystal ball on a black marble base, and a glass paperweight with a brilliant prism of sparks shooting off inside of it.

"Those are mostly books then?" Harry asked, pointing to the boxes.

"Mostly, yes," Dumbledore nodded. "However, the state of my office is not the reason I asked you here this morning. I need to ask you a question, about the crystals."

"Alright," Harry replied, uncertainly, not sure if he'd even be able to answer.

"I know you are still in the process of learning all you can about the stones," Dumbledore began. "However, my question to you, is how well you are able to handle them thus far. I regretfully have been unable to keep up with your training as well as I would have liked, and so therefore I must ask you directly."

"It's not going as well as I'd hoped," Harry replied honestly, shaking his head faintly and taking a seat across the desk from Dumbledore.

"Are you planning on continuing your training while you're at Hogwarts?"

"Well…I'm not sure," Harry replied. "I don't know if Professor Snape wants to continue with our sessions."

"Why is that?" Dumbledore inquired.

"He…well…I'm not sure exactly what happened, but…last night he left…before we could even begin our lesson. I think there's a possibility he found out that I would be taking the Dark Arts position…"

"Did you tell him this?" Dumbledore asked, curiously.

"No," Harry replied. "But I think he heard me…when I was thinking about it."

"Ah yes," Dumbledore nodded, "I do recall you telling me that he, as your instructor, has this ability."

"Yes well he just ran off, not bothering to explain himself," Harry said, flatly. "So I can't really be sure if that's exactly what it was…though the timing seems a little too coincidental for it to be anything else."

"Would you like me to speak with him?" Dumbledore asked.

"Oh no," Harry said, quickly, shaking his head but grinning slightly. "No, thank you, but I don't want it to seem as if I were telling on him or anything. I'll just talk to him at our next lesson…if he shows up…" Harry trailed off, wondering if the potions master would be stopping by again at all.

"Then I shall leave the matter of your training in your hands," Dumbledore replied with a nod. "However, I am going to keep watch on him to make sure that he is still making you the wolfsbane potion…that is not something he can simply decide to do as he feels like it, and if he feels he can no longer handle this task, I will need to find someone else immediately."

Harry didn't argue this, as he agreed completely. The wolfsbane potion was not something to fool around with. It was imperative that he have it on time each month…or the results could be disastrous.

"Can I ask, sir, why is it you wanted to know how I've been doing with the crystals in the first place?" Harry asked, curiously. "Not that I don't understand why exactly, but…why now?"

"I've been doing a bit of thinking on the matter of your powers as a Psion, Harry," Dumbledore replied evenly. "I don't know how much Severus has told you…"

"Told me about what?" Harry interrupted, curiously. "About my powers? We don't really talk much about them…we spend most of the time just trying to establish some form of communication between the two of us…but the crystals just…won't let us…"

Dumbledore nodded faintly, meeting Harry's gaze before continuing.

"Well from the brief discussion I was able to have with Severus, I gathered he is as frustrated as you are on the matter. The crystals are uncooperative, and are controlling you more so than you are controlling them."

"I'm trying professor, I really am," Harry explained quickly. "It's not that I want to cause problems during our lessons."

"Oh do not worry, Harry," Dumbledore chuckled silently, "I believe you most certainly do not want to cause problems or delays in your training. But the fact remains that the lessons are not progressing along as we all hoped they would."

"I know sir, and I'm sorry," Harry said quietly. "It's just that…"

"Harry," Dumbledore interrupted gently. "Listen to me for a moment."

Harry stopped speaking and looked up into Dumbledore's kind eyes.

"I am not angry at you, or upset in any way, at how your training is moving along," Dumbledore began firmly. "That is between you and Severus, and I have no knowledge or right to interfere. What I am worried about however, is what effect this has on the powers you use, when they are channeled through the stones."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, uncertainly.

"A fully trained Psion can use the crystals as he chooses, and they obey, without question," Dumbledore began. "Now in your particular situation, you have had no choice but to use the stones, and let them do most of the work for you. My only concern with this is that the crystals, while made up of your memories and knowledge, are still sentient in their own right. If you do not have exclusive control over the power they emit, I wonder if they are truly only doing as you ask."

"Do you think they have a reason to do otherwise?" Harry asked, curiously.

"I do not know," Dumbledore admitted. "To be perfectly honest, I would not normally give this a second thought. After all, you were able to hold back the death eaters and fend off the entities with the help of the stones."

"But Voldemort…" Harry said quietly.

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "What happened to Voldemort remains an enigma, and that is why I question the power of the stones while you do not have full control over them. I have already told you that I believe Voldemort was able to escape that day, but how he did so is a mystery. I believe something happened while you were in his mind…something that gave him a way out…"

"How?" Harry whispered, sitting utterly still in his chair.

"I do not know," Dumbledore replied quietly, shaking his head slowly, before looking into Harry's eyes again. "I remember you saying your scar had stopped hurting you that night as well, while you were still in Voldemort's presence. Has it acted up at all since then?"

"Not even once," Harry replied quickly. "I haven't felt anything from it at all."

"It's all very curious indeed," Dumbledore said, evenly. "But we unfortunately do not have all the pieces to this puzzle yet."

"Sir," Harry began, softly, "do you think…well…it sounds like…do you not want me to use the crystals any longer?"

"Harry, what you do with the crystals is your choice and yours alone," Dumbledore stated firmly, "I do not want to influence your decision in any way. They have helped save your life on several occasions, and they have caused you grief as well. But they are yours. Do with them as you wish."

Harry nodded slowly, half wishing Dumbledore had made the decision for him, but the headmaster was right. There was good and bad in everything, and the crystals were proving to be no exception.

"I should probably get going," Harry said, standing up slowly as the headmaster did the same. "You must have a ton of work to do before you're sworn in…"

"That I do," Dumbledore replied with a small grin. "But I always have time for a visit. Never hesitate to come to me if you need me for anything, Harry," he said firmly.

"Thank you," Harry replied, nodding once at the former headmaster. The two of them said their good-byes, and Harry headed out into the hall, shutting the door gently behind him. He started up the corridor, stopping as he came to the row of oversized grates, staring at them warily.

"Here goes nothing," he murmured under his breath, dreading what this would feel like. So far, every form of transportation that the wizarding world had come up with other than riding a broom, always left Harry feeling dizzy and nauseous, and this didn't seem like it would be any different. He stepped cautiously into the grate, which was lit by a single candle against the far wall, and turned around. Immediately the air in front of him began to glow bright orange, and a set of numbers formed out in the light. Harry glanced over them once, realizing they were the floors of the ministry building, before he reached out and swiped his hand through the number one.

The orange glow began to swirl around immediately, encircling Harry in its mist, and he shut his eyes tightly, already regretting the decision to use this route over the stairs. He felt a sudden sense of weightlessness as the floor dropped out from under him and he hovered in the air for what felt like a split second, the orange light spinning around him so quickly it was all he could see.

In the next instant, however, to Harry's great relief, he felt the ground beneath him once more, and the light around him faded as quickly as it had appeared. Stepping forward, Harry peered out of the grate and realized he was back in the lobby.

"That wasn't bad at all," he said with a silent laugh as he stepped fully out into the busy atrium for the second time that day. He couldn't enjoy the feeling for long, however, as he still had to take the floo network home. Glancing around quickly, he spotted the floo grates on the opposite wall from where he stood, and made his way over to them. In a matter of moments, he had gone through the familiar procedure, and soon he felt himself being whisked off in a swirl of colors, on his way home.

As the next few weeks went by, everything seemed to set back to its normal pace, with only one exception. Snape had stopped showing up for their lessons altogether, not bothering to call or give any explanation, but Harry wasn't the least bit surprised. He'd expected as much, after the way the potions master had reacted the last time he'd seen him. Sirius, however, was less than pleased at Snape's refusal to show for the sessions, and wanted to apparate straight over to the man's house, to demand an explanation, but Harry wouldn't let him. It was only two weeks until the next full moon, so they'd be seeing Snape soon enough. He could ask for a reason then.

During the time until the full moon, Harry did what he could to prepare for his job at Hogwarts. He went through the lesson books, trying to figure out what to show the students, and what might be too advanced. He took notes on certain subjects and made a small outline of what he'd want to cover throughout the year for each class.

Ron and Hermione were quite busy with preparing themselves for the year ahead, and as such Harry saw very little of them over the course of the month. He did get an owl when his friends had finally found an apartment they'd liked, and promised to let him know when it was ready, so he could have a look at it. It would still be a month or two, as they didn't plan to move until mid-autumn, but Harry was excited for them anyway.

Dumbledore, as promised, continued searching for any information he could find on the Cult of Shadows, but with the increased responsibilities he was preparing to take on as head minister, he could not devote as much time as he would have liked. Harry, in his spare time, continued the search at the wizarding library just near the ministry building, usually accompanied by Mel.

Even though Jack was still missing, Mel was refusing to let that keep her down. She never stopped looking for him, though by now it was more out of habit than anything. He had precious little time left, and had most likely managed to get far enough away that he wouldn't be found before his time came. Harry could see the torture Mel was going through over the whole situation, and loathed the fact that he couldn't help her in her search, but he was all but forbidden to go into the muggle world at this point, until they knew more about the Shadow Walkers.

So for two weeks Harry and Mel would spend as much time as either of them could spare, searching the enormous library for any information that would help them learn more about the Shadow Walkers, but came up with nothing. The few books they did find only told them what they already knew, and so their search was all for naught. Harry could only hope that when things settled down for Dumbledore, he'd be able to use the full resources of the ministry to discover more about the shadows, until then, he had no choice but to wait.

Soon enough, however, the weeks passed by, and the night of the first full moon of August arrived. Harry had asked Sirius and Marzia to give him time with Snape, not wanting his godfather to get into an argument with the potions master tonight. He needed to talk to Snape and was expecting the older man would not want to stay long, so Harry wanted there to be no distractions. When it neared the time that Snape usually arrived, Sirius and Marzia headed out for about an hour, promising to return before Harry's transformation actually happened. Harry thanked them, grateful for giving him the time he asked for, and after they'd left, he sat down on the couch to wait.

Several long minutes passed by, and Harry stared at his watch, the seconds ticking away, waiting. Snape was running late again, it seemed, and Harry had to remind himself that Dumbledore swore he would not allow Snape to fool around with this. It was too important, as he'd put it…and Harry had to agree. Each second felt like a minute, each minute like ten, and Harry had nothing to distract his mind from the little voice in the back of his head, whispering that Snape wouldn't show…he would transform…Sirius and Marzia would return…

Harry physically shook his head, forcing the horrible thought from his head, when the familiar popping sound of someone apparating into the room filled his ears. He looked up, filling with relief as Snape appeared before him and Harry stood up to greet him.

"Here," Snape hissed, forcing a vile of the wolfsbane potion into Harry's hands. "There's enough there for three days."

"Thank you," Harry said hurriedly, placing the bottle down on the table and looking up to see Snape turning away from him, he took a step forward quickly, reaching out and tapping the potion master's arm as he spoke. "Professor Snape…do you have a moment? I just wanted to…"

"Not now Potter," Snape replied darkly. "I'm very busy and seeing as we're done here, I'll need to be on my way."

"It won't be long, I promise," Harry said quickly. "Please?"

"What is it then?" Snape asked, exasperatedly. "What could be so important we need to speak about it this moment?"

"Look," Harry began, feeling the smallest twinges of anger at Snape's attitude. How could he pretend that nothing was wrong? "I know you're angry at me…and I think I know why too."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Snape spat darkly.

"Don't I?" Harry asked, calmly. "You caught some of my thoughts when you were last here, didn't you?"

"Something important came to my attention," Snape said, hastily.

"I bet it did," Harry replied with a nod, crossing his arms over his chest. "Would that important piece of information be related in any way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts position?"

"I don't have time for this, Potter," Snape said in quiet anger.

"Why haven't you been showing up for our sessions?" Harry asked evenly, ignoring the potion master's comment.

"I was unable to make it here for them."

"And you couldn't find one spare moment to contact me and let me know you weren't coming?" Harry asked, skeptically.

"No, I couldn't," Snape replied, looking intently at Harry, as if daring him to continue.

"And just how long do you think it will be," Harry went on determinedly, "until you're able to attend one of our sessions again?"

Snape looked at Harry for a long moment, an unreadable expression on his face, before he began to speak quietly.

"I think we should discontinue the sessions."

"What?" Harry asked, not expecting this answer, his eyes growing wide. "Why?"

"I know that teaching will be a new experience for you, Potter," Snape began, sounding quite bitter. "One which you obviously have no idea about. If you think you're going to have time for our lessons you're quite mistaken."

"I'm sure there'll be some time, even if it's not as often," Harry began, hurriedly. "Remus always managed to take time out from his duties as an instructor if we needed him…"

"Yes but you are hardly as experienced as Professor Lupin was," Snape replied with a smirk.

Harry simply stared back at Snape, unable to reply. He knew…he knew…the potions master was only canceling their lessons out of spite. He was bitter and angry that Harry was offered the position he'd been after for his entire career as an instructor, and this was how he would get his revenge. But there was nothing he could do…except hope that Snape would come around.

"If you're through with your annoying questions then," the potions master began, a smug grin on his face, "then I'll be on my way now."

Harry watched as Snape smirked haughtily at him for a brief second more, before disapparating into the air. He stood in the den for a moment, at a loss for what to do now. Snape was his instructor, the only person he knew of that could teach him about the crystals. If he refused to show up for lessons, than where did that leave Harry?

With a soft sigh, Harry shook his head, while reaching down and grasping hold of the wolfsbane potion. He would have to worry about this problem some other time…

"Harry, I mean it…I'm not saying you can't handle this on your own or anything but…"

"Sirius, no," Harry replied for the umpteenth time. It was the day before he left for Hogwarts, and his godfather was still fuming about Snape's decision while Harry packed. "I don't want there to be any more trouble than there already is. Snape doesn't like you any more than he does me…"

"Well, someone has to talk some sense into that man," Sirius said, darkly, shaking his head in disgust. "This is too important…"

"Sirius…stop, please," Harry said, quietly as he pulled several more shirts out of his closet and crossed the room to his open trunk. "Maybe Snape's right," he suggested with a faint shrug.

"Right?" Sirius repeated, incredulously, looking worriedly at Harry. "When did you hit your head?"

"Shut up," Harry replied with a small laugh, before turning serious again. "It's just that I've had some time to think on this…and he is right, in a way. I probably won't have much time with all that I'll be doing this year…and the free time that I do get…well who's to say that will be his free time as well? I'm sure our schedules will be somewhat conflicting at least…it'll probably be too hard to find time that we both have free…"

"That's not true," Sirius said flatly. "And I know you know that. There's time after classes, there's time on the weekends and it's even possible to find time in between all of that. Snape is only doing this…"

"I know why he's doing it," Harry interrupted hurriedly, throwing another armful of clothes into his trunk. "I guess…well…maybe it's better this way, is what I'm really trying to say."

"Why in Merlin's name would you think that?" Sirius asked, a confused expression on his face.

"Because the lessons were getting us nowhere," Harry replied evenly. "I know I'm at a loss for what to do to make the stones listen when Snape's around…and I think he is too. It's just too much frustration and stress to have to deal with right now."

"Harry," Sirius began, crossing to where his godson stood and fixing him with a serious stare, "the stones are the only reason that you aren't with the Shadow Walkers right now. This may be stressful and frustrating, but it's necessary. If you don't want me to speak with Snape, that's fine…for now. But you can't just decide the crystals aren't worth it anymore and be done with them."

"That's not what I was saying," Harry replied weakly. "I'm not giving up…but I don't think a break is a bad idea…"

"Just don't make it too long a break," Sirius said firmly. "Alright?"

"Alright," Harry nodded, feeling that it wasn't really up to him anyway. If in a month or two Snape still refused to teach him, there was ultimately nothing Harry could do about it.

"Want any help packing?" Sirius asked lightly, trying to change the subject.

"No, I'm almost done as it is," Harry replied. "Thank you though."

"Alright," Sirius said with a grin. "I'll see you downstairs in a bit."

Harry nodded, smiling back at his godfather faintly, and watched him leave the room. Sighing inaudibly, he shook his head and turned his attention back to packing, a mixture of nervousness and anxiety churning inside him, at the possibilities of what lay ahead once he finally arrived at Hogwarts.

"You have everything, right?" Marzia asked as Harry piled the last of his belongings next to the fireplace in the den.

"You've asked me that four times now," Harry laughed, smiling widely at her.

"I just want you to be sure," Marzia said with a grin, stepping towards the trunks and glancing over the pile.

"Well I am," Harry said with a nod, "so you can stop worrying. Besides, even if I did forget something, it's too late now. I have to get going in a minute…I'm supposed to meet with Professor McGonagall today."

"Poor Minerva," Marzia said, shaking her head sympathetically. "She's probably going through hell right now trying to make sure everything's in order for next week."

"Well then let's not create more stress for her by making Harry late," Sirius spoke up teasingly, stepping into the den from the kitchen. "If he's forgotten something he can pick it up some other time."

"Yes, I should get going now," Harry nodded, giving Sirius a thankful smile as he reached for the canister of floo powder above the hearth.

"Are you sure you don't want to at least wear robes today?" Marzia asked, glancing at Harry's very casual attire.

"Marzia," Harry laughed. "I'm not teaching anything today…and it's not as if Professor McGonagall has never seen me in muggle clothes before…don't worry."

"Alright, I know, I'm sorry," Marzia said quickly. "But don't you think…"

Her voice was cut off abruptly as Sirius reached out playfully, clapping one hand over her mouth and the other over her arms, drawing her towards him.

"Go Harry, quick…I don't know how long I can hold her…" he whispered urgently to his godson, who was laughing, as Marzia was already wriggling free from Sirius' grasp.

"You, sir, are going to pay for that," Marzia commented mischievously as she finally pried the hand away from her mouth.

"Oh really?" Sirius asked, arching an eyebrow. "I think you're bluffing…"

"I think this is my cue to leave," Harry spoke up loudly, grinning at Sirius and Marzia just before he pulled out his wand. He quickly lit a fire in the hearth, preparing to toss in the floo powder.

"You'll do fine Harry," Sirius said firmly, smiling proudly at his godson as he looked intently into his eyes.

"And don't worry about Snape or anyone else…" Marzia added, "Albus asked you to take this position for a reason."

"That's right," Sirius spoke up quickly. "Remember…Snape isn't one of your teachers this time around…he can't give you detention, he can't take away house points…"

"I know," Harry nodded firmly, trying to reassure himself as much as he was them. "Thank you…both…" he added with a small grin.

"Good luck Harry," Marzia said, excitedly, stepping forward and hugging him tightly.

"And have fun," Sirius added as the two separated and Harry turned to face him.

"I'll try," Harry assured him with a half smirk.

"You know you will," Sirius replied, laughing softly. "Just promise me…swear to me…that you will look out for yourself."

Harry nodded faintly, knowing his godfather was referring to the Shadow Walkers. At least, up to this point, they'd been unable to find him as far as he knew, and going to Hogwarts, where Harry would be constantly surrounded by hundreds of wizards, would only make it harder for the shadows.

Saying good-bye once more to both Sirius and Marzia, Harry finally released his handful of floo powder into the flames. He quickly piled his belongings into the brilliant green blaze, before taking one last glance around the room. With a small wave, he stepped into the hearth, and was whisked off in a swirl of colors, back to his first home…back to Hogwarts.

The moment his feet hit the ground Harry lurched forward. He threw his hands out, hoping to grasp hold of anything, preparing for the pain that would come should he miss, when suddenly he felt someone's hands on his arms, steadying him.

"Alright there Mr. Potter? " a familiar, gruff voice asked through the clearing haze of smoke.

Harry, having regained his balance now, took a quick step back and stood looking at the person in front of him.

"Mr. Filch?" he asked, hesitantly, slightly taken aback that the caretaker had helped him.

"Your things go right over here," Filch said quickly, stepping around Harry and reaching for the first trunk. Harry could see a rather large stack of baggage already accumulated against the opposite wall from where he stood. "The house elves will take them to your room later."

"Oh…right," Harry nodded, thinking it felt strange to hear Filch speaking to him in a civil manner.

"Professor McGonagall will be wanting to see you now then," Filch said as the two finished pulling Harry's things out of the large grate just beside the main entranceway. Harry was sure he'd never seen the grate there before, and assumed this must be the only time it was used, remaining hidden the rest of the year.

"Alright," Harry nodded, starting on his way up the hall. "Thank you," he called out, as an afterthought, just before he turned around completely, setting off for McGonagall's office. He'd known there would most likely be a few surprises this year when it came to dealing with the teachers, but now it was actually real. Filch wasn't acting as if they were old friends or anything, but he had treated Harry like an adult, and that was an odd feeling for him.

For the first time since Harry told Dumbledore he would take this position, he felt truly glad he had done so. If Filch would accept him as an instructor…as an equal, then the other teachers would probably do the same, and that in itself was a relief. He knew, without a doubt, there would still be problems with Snape, but if the potions master was the only teacher he needed to worry about, it was definitely a weight off of Harry's shoulders.

As he finally reached McGonagall's office Harry stopped just outside the door, hearing faint voices from within.

Before Harry had a moment to register who the voices belonged to, the door in front of him opened slowly, sensing he was waiting to enter, letting out a loud creak as it did so.

"Ah, Mr. Potter," McGonagall spoke up from her seat at the desk, sounding both pleasant and stressed. "Just who I need to speak to," she paused, glancing towards the other person in the room with her. "Severus, will that be all? I assume we're through here…"

"Yes, thank you headmistress," Snape replied with a slight bow of his head, before his eyes fell upon Harry, glaring darkly at him.

"I didn't mean to interrupt…" Harry began, lifting his hands apologetically.

"Nonsense," McGonagall cut him off hastily, motioning Harry forward. "Come in then, we need to talk for a moment."

Harry stepped hesitantly into the room, eyeing Snape warily as the potions master started towards him. Neither spoke a word to the other, and when at last Snape reached Harry, he passed him by, not even sparing him a second glance.

Harry shook his head faintly and started towards the desk on the opposite side of the room. He could see the office was mostly cleared of its files and shelves, and figured it must be because McGonagall would be taking Dumbledore's office. As he neared the desk, he saw a mess of papers spread out in no specific order across its surface. McGonagall was hastily sifting through a stack of them that lay just before her, but what caught Harry's eye was lying on the far left end of the table.

A long scroll, partially unrolled, was sitting precariously on the edge of the desk. Harry could see it was a list of some sort, and upon looking closer; he saw they were names. Some of them were crossed off, while others had check marks next to them. Just beside the scroll lay another, slightly smaller one, and above it hovered a long, elegant quill. It was scrawling the names over onto this smaller scroll, but only the names with check marks.

"What is that?" Harry asked, gesturing at the list being written before him.

"Those are the first years that will be attending Hogwarts this term," McGonagall replied with a casual glance at the scrolls.

"Why are certain names crossed out?" Harry asked. "The students didn't reply on time?"

"No," McGonagall replied, shaking her head briefly. "If a student who is asked to attend doesn't get their owl in on time, we will still accept them provided they have a reason for being late."

"Then why are so many crossed off?"

"Not all children who are eligible to attend Hogwarts are asked to," McGonagall stated, somewhat regretfully. "The longer list there, contains the names of each child we considered for acceptance, the list just beside it are the ones who we sent the letters to."

"I didn't realize," Harry began, slightly surprised, "that some children don't make it in…"

"Yes well, we can't accept everyone," McGonagall said firmly. "We don't have the staff for any more than children than we already take on, nor do we have the room. But we aren't the only school of magic, Mr. Potter, so you can stop worrying."

Harry looked up from the scrolls, meeting McGonagall's piercing gaze, but he could see the kindness underneath, and smiled faintly back at her.

"Now," she went on, looking suddenly business-like, "there's something we need to talk about."

Harry lowered himself into a chair on the opposite side of the desk from McGonagall and waited for her to begin.

"I know you and Albus did not have much chance to discuss your position here, so I am going to try and go over as much of this as I can with you now. Your schedule is set up for you so that the students' classes don't run into each other. You will have two days during which you will have both a morning and an afternoon class, and three days where you will only have one class per day," McGonagall explained quickly, handing him a slip of paper with the class schedules on it as she spoke. "Now, do you have any ideas about what you'd like to do for a lesson plan?" she asked.

"Well…I was looking over the older ones, from what Albus sent me," Harry began. "I was thinking of mostly staying along the same lines as those…"

"Do you have any questions?" McGonagall asked evenly. "Anything you're not clear on?"

"I'm sure I'll have dozens," Harry said, nodding, "But right now I can't think of any…I guess I'll have to see after my first lesson."

"Just remember you can ask myself or any of the other professors for help with anything. I've made everyone aware of your decision to join the staff and anyone of us will be more than willing to help you however we can."

"Thank you," Harry replied with a small grin.

"Just remember you have to ask, Mr. Potter," McGonagall spoke up with a wry grin. "This will not be anything even remotely similar to your days as a student and we all have our own responsibilities. Even though you are coming into this with no prior teaching experience I can't have someone watching over your shoulder, you have to come to us with your questions. I know you don't care to ask for help, but we can't read your mind."

"Not even Professor Trelawny?" Harry asked with a smirk.

McGonagall rolled her eyes and shook her head, it was all the response Harry needed.

"Alright then," Harry began, getting ready to stand up. "So I'm guessing…I use the next week to get ready for classes…er…do I have an office, or…someplace I can…"

"You will have an office, yes," McGonagall nodded. "And I believe using the time before classes begin to prepare your lessons would be the best choice. But before you go, Harry…" she said hurriedly, holding up a finger to halt him from leaving, "there's one other thing we need to discuss."

"Okay," Harry replied, remaining seated.

"I need to ask you a question," McGonagall began, sounding quite serious. "It isn't a demand in any way, but I want to make it clear that I am asking you for your help in this situation and would greatly appreciate if you could give it."

"What is it?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

McGonagall fixed Harry with an even gaze, before speaking.

"Would you consider taking the position as head of Gryffindor House for this term?"

"What?" Harry blurted out before he could stop himself, part of him feeling this question shouldn't have surprised him in the least, while the other part was reeling from this new offer. "You mean…you haven't found anyone yet?" he sputtered.

"I wouldn't be asking you if I had, Mr. Potter," McGonagall stated evenly. "But I must ask that you give me your answer now. I am aware that this request is sudden, but I have no choice. The house head must be someone previously from that house, who has graduated from the school, and right now you are the only person who is qualified for that position."

"What would I have to do?" Harry asked, wanting very much so to turn the offer down, but seeing quite clearly in McGonagall's eyes that she truly needed his help.

"You would keep a close watch on your students," McGonagall began at once. "You can set rules for the dormitories if you choose, and you would be responsible for contacting the parents for students who step out of line. You would also keep track of house points. If points are lost or gained during classes the other professors will report back to you with this information. If a student breaks a rule in such a manner that it is considered serious, the punishment of that student would fall to you. Though in most cases it does not come to that."

"Do I only set punishments for students in my own house?" Harry asked, remembering the many occasions on which Snape had assigned him detention.

"No," McGonagall replied, quickly, "if you happen upon a student who is breaking a rule and you are the first professor to see what is happening, the punishment falls to you. In certain cases the house head for that student may speak to you on the child's behalf if they feel the punishment was unfair, but it is up to you whether or not you wish to change your decision."

Harry nodded slowly, listening to all that McGonagall was telling him, and sighing inwardly. He couldn't turn her down, it was too close to the school year and she'd never find someone else in time. He opened his mouth to say he would accept, when the door to the room began to slowly creak open.

"Troy, you're back," McGonagall said, sounding mildly surprised as she glanced up to the open door. Harry looked as well, his eyes widening in shock as he immediately recognized the person who'd just entered the office. It was the redheaded man from the bookshop, the one who was rather rude towards him.

"I apologize for the interruption, Minerva," Troy said hastily, barely sparing Harry a second glance as he made his way to the desk. "Argus was somewhat preoccupied and was unable to spare the time at the moment to show me where I'd be staying…I know you're busy, but perhaps if you could…"

"Yes it is much more hectic around here this year," McGonagall nodded quickly. "I'm afraid I don't have time right now, but Harry here can show you," she said, gesturing to where Harry stood. Troy looked over at Harry with the faintest hint of distaste in his expression as McGonagall rushed on quickly. "Oh, I'm sorry, you two haven't met…Harry this is Troy Ryan. He'll be the new Transfiguration professor this year. And Troy, this is…"

"Harry Potter," Troy said flatly, not taking his eyes from Harry. "I recognize him."

"Nice to meet you," Harry said, forcing politeness into his tone as Troy seemed to glare at him. He extended his hand towards the redhead, as McGonagall looked on.

"Likewise," Troy replied, a slight edge to his tone as he stiffly took Harry's hand, before pulling away almost immediately.

"Would you mind, Harry?" McGonagall asked, looking up at Harry. "Just show Troy where the sleeping quarters on the fourth floor are…"

"Of course not, Professor," Harry replied with a small grin. "I'd be glad to."

"Good, now…as to what we were just discussing…" McGonagall began again, "Would you consider it?"

"I'll do it professor," Harry nodded slowly, trying to smile reassuringly more for himself than to convince McGonagall.

"Thank you Harry," she replied, a true smile crossing her face for the first time since he'd arrived. He could see how his answer alone had seemed to lift a great weight from her shoulders. "I know you'll do a wonderful job."

"I hope you're right," Harry replied with a half-hearted laugh but feeling flattered just the same. "Thank you, professor."

"Harry, call me Minerva now," she said simply giving him one last grin before turning back to her work. "Oh and your quarters will be the ones on the third floor…your things should already be there…"

"Thank you," Harry said again with a nod, before turning at last to where Troy stood, looking quite impatient.

"Thank you for waiting, Troy," McGonagall spoke up again suddenly and Harry saw the man's expression change in a flash, appearing warm and kind.

"Of course, Minerva," he replied with a faint nod. "No trouble at all."

As soon as McGonagall's eyes were averted, however, Troy's eyes narrowed once more, and he turned away from Harry, starting wordlessly towards the door. Harry looked after him for a brief moment, wondering what he could have possibly done to deserve this treatment, before quietly following after him and stepping out into the hall.

"This way," Harry said flatly as he fell in step with Troy, beginning to lead him down a side corridor. For a few moments, there was no sound to be heard other than that of their own footsteps. Harry glanced sideways at Troy, seeing only a blank stare on the other man's face. If they weren't the same age they had to be close to it, but Harry couldn't remember ever seeing him in Hogwarts before. Clearing his throat softly, Harry at last took a deep breath and began speaking.

"So…you're going to be teaching transfiguration?" he asked lightly, not sure how to start the conversation.

"That's what Minerva said, isn't it?" Troy replied with a scowl. "Or didn't you hear her?"

"No, I heard her fine," Harry relied, trying to keep the stiffness out of his voice. He shook his head and decided to start again.

"Have you known Minerva long?"

"Why do you care?" Troy retorted.

"I'm just trying to make conversation…" Harry replied, defensively.

"Well I don't want to talk to you, alright?" Troy spoke, icily. "Just show me where the rooms are."

Harry stopped walking dead in his tracks so quickly that Troy went a few paces beyond him before realizing he wasn't beside Harry any longer. He turned around at once, a dark glower on his face.

"Are you trying to be irritating, or is this the way you normally behave?" Troy asked coldly.

"You should talk," Harry replied, his voice calm and even as he stood his ground, a defiant gleam in his eyes. "I don't suppose you'd care to tell me why you're so angry at me?"

"You're right, I don't care to tell you," Troy replied darkly.

Harry narrowed his eyes, before speaking again, slowly and clearly.

"You know, we're both going to be teaching here for the next ten months…don't you think we should at least make an attempt to get along with one another?"

"Why?" Troy sneered.

"I don't think it would look fantastically professional if any of the students were to…"

"What? See us arguing? Who cares?" Troy said, throwing his hands up in the air. "Why lie to them? Besides, if you just keep your distance, as would be in your best interests, there won't be any arguments for them to accidentally walk in on."

Harry took a sharp step forward, looking intently into Troy's eyes…searching them.

"My best interests?" he repeated, evenly. "Is that a threat?"

"Take it however you want to," Troy replied crisply.

Harry stared long and hard at the man before him, questions racing through his mind. Why did Troy seem so hateful towards him? Where did he know McGonagall from? She must know him well, or at least trust him, if she was the one who'd hired him to teach. Where did he come from, though? Why had Troy accepted the job if he knew Harry would be here, when he so obviously wanted to be nowhere near him?

"Look you may have heaps of free time on your hands but I don't," Troy's harsh voice stirred him from his thoughts. "Now show me the way to the rooms," he demanded.

But Harry didn't move, he didn't like the idea of starting off the school year with yet another enemy, for an unknown cause. He wanted to know why Troy seemed to hate him so, and he wanted to know now. Before he could even begin to speak however, the sound of nearing footsteps echoed through the adjacent hall, and both men looked up just in time to see Severus Snape step into view.

"Severus," Troy began immediately, a friendly smirk crossing his lips.

"Good afternoon, Troy," Snape nodded, sparing Harry the briefest of glances before turning away again. "I see you've met Potter," he continued, more than a hint of dislike in his voice.

"Yes," Troy nodded, throwing Harry another glare. "He's exactly as you said he'd be…"

Harry looked up at Snape sharply upon hearing this, his eyes narrowing, but Snape merely smirked back at him, smugly.

"You two know each other quite well it seems," Harry stated icily.

"We've only just met, a few hours ago, Potter," Snape replied, a faint grin still on his face.

"Severus was kind enough to tell me a few things about the school while I was waiting to speak with Minerva," Troy said casually.

"Well then maybe he can give you your tour as well," Harry said, suddenly feeling an overwhelming rush of anger. It was bad enough to have to deal with Snape's constant ill-deserved attitude towards him, but to have to put up with Troy as well…Harry wasn't going to take it.

"Oh, backing out, are you?" Troy spoke tauntingly as Harry moved to turn away.

"Get used to it, Troy," Snape began, looking sympathetically at the younger man. "Potter has grown up with the idea that he is above the rest of us, he does only as he pleases…"

Harry clenched his teeth, forcing himself not to turn back. He knew Snape was baiting him, and he refused to bite. He hadn't even begun teaching yet, and he certainly wasn't going to give Snape a reason to report him to McGonagall by getting into a fight. Taking a deep breath, he grudgingly began stepping forward, away from the two sneering faces behind him.

"Oh, Mr. Potter, before I forget…there's one other thing…" Snape's overly placid voice called out to him.

"Yes?" Harry asked, not bothering to fake a smile as he turned back around.

"I happened to notice the chest containing the crystals downstairs before your things were brought up…"

"What about them?" Harry asked, fighting to keep his expression even. What was Snape doing? He'd just said he'd only known Troy a few hours…no matter how well they got along, Harry did not want to talk about the crystals in front of a stranger, especially one who seemed to dislike him so.

"I'm wondering, actually why you brought them with you," Snape drawled. "I've already said we will not be continuing the lessons…"

"I know," Harry replied flatly, "I was there, remember?" he asked, stopping himself before he went any further.

"Watch yourself," Snape said, all hint of his even-tempered manner vanishing in an instant.

"Or what?" Harry asked, the corners of his mouth curling up in a wry smile. "I'm not one of your students anymore."

"As a professor in this school you need to put forth a professional appearance if nothing else, Potter," Snape said icily, rushing on, "and you are one of my students still."

"Not since you told me our lessons were through," Harry shot back, evenly, choosing to ignore the comment about behaving professionally. In all his years at Hogwarts, he'd rarely gotten that impression from the potions master. Angry, ill tempered, hateful and conniving…but never professional.

"I told you we'd be postponing them," Snape said haughtily.

"Whatever you said, the lessons are through for the time being," Harry spoke quickly. "Which means I'll have to work with the stones on my own time…"

"You will do no such thing!" Snape cut in, looking suddenly furious.

"And why not?" Harry asked, angrily. "If you're not going to show me I need to do something to figure them out…"

"I forbid it, Mr. Potter," Snape said fiercely, staring intently at him. "You are not to use those crystals unless I am with you." Harry looked straight back at the potions master, not failing to catch the truly amused expression on Troy's face as he watched Harry get yelled at.

"I use the crystals on my own all the time," Harry said, in a strained voice, glaring at Snape as he spoke.

"Well not anymore," Snape hissed.

"Then tell me why not," Harry said quietly. "Give me a reason…"

"The fact that I'm telling you I don't want you to should be reason enough," Snape said darkly.

"Well it isn't," Harry said crisply, crossing his arms over his chest.

Snape's eyes locked darkly with Harry's and for a moment, neither spoke. Harry refused to be the first to blink; he was not going to let Snape scare him away from this. When suddenly, to his great surprise, Snape lowered his gaze first. The potions master glanced sideways towards where Troy stood, who was still smirking at Harry tauntingly, before bringing his gaze back. Harry's own eyes narrowed curiously, sure he had seen something in the split second the potion master's eyes had been averted, but Snape's expression quickly resumed its haughty appearance once more.

"This discussion is over, Mr. Potter," Snape said icily. "You will not use the crystals…and that's final."

Harry didn't even have a reply anymore, he knew something was up…but he just didn't know what.

"Troy, I'll show you the way to your quarters from here," Snape said, turning to the younger man. "Potter here was obviously taking you the long way…he doesn't know quite as much about this castle as he thinks he does."

"I was just wondering about that," Troy sneered. "He does look a bit lost, doesn't he?" he asked, smiling at Harry's still confused expression. The two turned their backs on Harry, walking up the corridor, seeming to get along splendidly. Harry looked after them for a brief moment, still feeling something wasn't quite right, before he slowly turned away, and started off in the opposite direction.

Snape had been trying to tell him something…he felt it…he knew it. But he couldn't understand what not using the crystals would have to do with anything, and why he was so insistent that Harry not touch them without him.

He made his way up to the fourth floor, where his own quarters were located, finding everything had been brought up already. Spotting the trunk that contained the stones against the far wall, he crossed to it slowly, and knelt down just beside it. Part of him was tempted to open it and call the crystals now, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. The stones only knew what he did…and he certainly didn't know what Snape had been getting at.

With a frustrated sigh, Harry stood once more, and walked to where the rest of his belongings lay, before beginning to unpack. This was turning out to be a wonderful school year, and there was still a week before it would even begin. Already he had so many questions…he only hoped he could find the answers.

As the week went on, Harry tried to talk with Snape, to get him alone even if it was only for a minute. He wanted to ask him about what had happened in the hall…why didn't he want Harry to use the crystals on his own? But Snape, conveniently, always seemed to make himself scarce when Harry was around.

Troy didn't soften up any either, when it came to Harry, completely ignoring his existence and brushing him off at every opportunity. The only time he would act somewhat civil, was if McGonagall was around.

At one point, Harry had tried to ask her about Troy. He wanted to know where he'd come from and how well she knew him.

"How long have you known him for?" he'd asked her the day before classes as they'd ate lunch together. Usually Harry ended up eating alone in his office, preparing for classes, but today he'd decided to go down to the great hall, and jumped at the chance to speak with Minerva when he's spotted her there as well.

"I've known Troy since he was very young, Harry," she replied absently, as she was quite absorbed in some paperwork she'd brought downstairs with her.

"I don't mean to be a bother or anything," Harry said, seeing she was quite busy, but could you tell me anything about him?"

"What is it exactly that you want to know?" McGonagall asked, looking up at Harry with a serious expression. "And is there any reason you can't ask Troy yourself?"

"Not really," Harry answered a bit too quickly, drawing a questioning look from the headmistress. "It's just I don't want to bother him with questions when he's new to the school. Not only does he have to prepare for classes, but he doesn't know the castle quite well…he's got more on his mind than most of us…"

McGonagall gave Harry a penetrating look, she knew there was more to this than he was telling her, but nodded faintly at last.

"Well I'm sure Troy is quite appreciative for your consideration, but I don't know how much I can answer for you…what is it you want to know?"

"Well, for one thing…where is he from? I know he didn't go to Hogwarts, so where did he learn magic?"

"Troy was born in England, he attended a local wizarding school…"

"A local wizarding school?" Harry interrupted.

"Similar, I suppose, to that of a muggle public school," Minerva explained, "for anyone not attending one of the more prestigious schools."

"Is there a reason he went to one of those?" Harry asked, curiously.

"That's more of a personal question, Harry," Minerva replied gently. "I'm afraid if you want that answer, you will have to ask it of Troy. It's his decision if he wants to tell you or not."

Harry nodded quickly, even more curious now than he'd been a moment ago, but knew there was nothing that could come of pressing McGonagall for information. If she didn't want to give it, she wouldn't.

"You said you've known him since he was young," Harry began again, "would you tell me how?"

"I knew his parents," Minerva replied, suddenly looking quite sad. She went silent for a few moments, and Harry sat patiently, waiting and hoping she would continue. When he opened his mouth to ask her how she knew them, she started speaking again suddenly, her voice very still.

"They, as so many others, were killed by Voldemort's followers during his first height of power."

Harry merely lowered his eyes. Here was yet another person, whose life was changed forever because of Voldemort. He wondered if that was part of the reason Troy seemed to hate him so, but still couldn't quite figure out why it would be…

"I apologize, Harry, for having to cut this short," Minerva spoke quickly, looking much like her usual self again, "but I still have much that needs to be done before tomorrow…"

"Yes of course," Harry nodded, standing up with the headmistress. "Sorry to have disturbed you."

"No, you didn't at all," Minerva replied with a half smile, she nodded briefly, before starting towards the door at the back of the room, and going through. Harry looked after her for a long moment. He was glad to know something about Troy, but the discussion had only created many more questions in his head. Deciding not to worry on it now, Harry headed across to the exit as well, starting back to his quarters, so he would finish getting ready for the first day of school.


	3. Chapter 3

Once he'd gotten back upstairs, Harry grabbed a few files from his quarters, and left the room, making his way to his office. McGonagall had given him the option of which room he could have, not wanting to force him to use Remus' old office if it would be too painful for him, but Harry felt just the opposite. He loved being in there, it only made him think of all the talks he'd had with his beloved friend, the lessons and the laughs they'd shared. Those were things he didn't want to forget.

He entered the room, lighting the candles with a wave of his wand, and crossing to the large desk. Over the past week he'd tried to make it as homely as possible, bringing in a few pictures of Mel, his friends, Sirius and Marzia. He'd not changed the layout from the way Remus had set it up, leaving the great file cabinet just against the wall beside the desk in the corner of the room closest to the window. He could see out over the grounds for miles from up here, including Hagrid's hut and the dark forest. There was a large fireplace, of course, and the walls were littered with Hogwarts banners, containing the emblems of all four houses. There was one banner, just behind the desk, which bore only the Gryffindor emblem, and Harry left that as well. He vowed to himself that he was going to be a fair instructor, but he would always be proud of his own house.

The walls were a soft beige, while the candles that hung around the room gave off a warm, inviting glow, and Harry sighed contentedly, still not sure he was the right person for this job, but feeling glad to be here just the same.

One thing he'd found out over the last week was that there was much more to teaching then just…well…teaching. Each student had files on hand, which contained all information that might be needed should they fall ill or should a parent need to be contacted. Harry had never realized how careful you had to be, to make sure you weren't inadvertently endangering any of your students. It had never occurred to him that when planning for practical lessons, you had to make sure the students were able to handle the creatures they'd be dealing with in class. It wasn't often, but on occasion, a student might be found to have an allergy to Jobberknoll feathers, or Horklump bristles. While it wasn't part of any lesson plan to have the students make physical contact with any of the creatures they would be learning about in class, Harry had to be aware of these things just the same, as the unexpected was just that, you never knew what was going to happen.

For about an hour, Harry went through the files of his first year students, scouring the pages for any information that he would need to have before classes started. Minerva had given him a list of the new students, so he could compare them against the files as he went along. There was one however, he couldn't seem to find. He was sure he'd kept the files together at all times, so he didn't think he'd misplaced it, but it wasn't there just the same.

"Murrt…Murrt…Murrt," he repeated quietly to himself as he thumbed through the stack of papers for the fourth time. "Nope, no Devon Murrt," he said, finally giving up and leaning back in his chair.

"Who's Devon Murrt?" a very welcome voice spoke up from across the room. Harry looked up happily, to see Mel standing the doorway.

"Mel!" he smiled brightly, coming around the desk and starting towards her. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I didn't get to wish you luck properly for your new job," Mel said with a wry grin as she moved towards Harry as well. The two met just a few feet from the door, and kissed briefly before Mel began talking again.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you or anything," she said, nodding towards the desk, and the mess of papers covering it. "I don't want to make you lose your place in what you're doing…"

"No, you're not at all," Harry said, waving off the comment and grinning. "I was actually just about to take a break anyway."

"Going to look for Devon Murrt?" Mel asked lightly.

"His file, yes," Harry nodded, taking Mel gently by the arm and leading her to the opposite corner of the room from the desk. There were several chairs, and a small couch, all a light cream color with a scattering of throw pillows. "But it can wait," he said, smiling as they lowered themselves onto the couch. "I'm glad you came," he said softly, truly meaning it.

"Well I told you, I had to…I'm not sure how much we'll get to see of each other after today."

"I have weekends off…" Harry began quickly.

"Well I don't always," Mel said. "And you never know if you'll be needed here for something…I seem to remember some of our professors needing to hang around during the weekends."

"Are you staying at Madam Malkin's?" Harry asked, knowing Mel had only even begun working there so she had a flexible schedule to take care of Jack.

"Probably not," Mel said with a shrug. "For a little while, yes…but I think I'll be looking for a new job soon…"

"Where would you like to look?" Harry asked.

"I haven't the slightest clue," Mel admitted with a small grin. "Though I was always good at potions while I was here…maybe something with that. I liked transfiguration too though…so I'm really not sure."

"Too bad Minerva didn't know that," Harry said with a half-hearted laugh.

"Know what?" Mel asked.

"That you liked transfiguration…"

"I'm sure she knew," Mel smiled, "but why do you say that?"

"Because as of the moment, I don't quite care for the new transfiguration professor…Troy Ryan."

"Don't care for him? What's he done?" Mel asked.

"Nothing too bad," Harry said with a shrug. "He just doesn't like me…and I'm not quite sure what I did to make him feel this way…"

"Doesn't like you? No, surely not…that can't be true!" Mel said, feigning shock, and trying to hide her smile.

"Ah yes, always good to know you're right there for me, Mel…a real confidence booster, you are…" Harry joked, rolling his eyes.

"No, I was being cynical…" Mel explained gently, still straining to keep her expression blank.

"Thank you," Harry replied, sardonically, giving her a withering look. "I might never have guessed that…"

"Well then it's a good thing I've told you now, isn't it?" Mel asked, smiling innocently.

"I love your visits…have I told you that?" Harry asked with a wry grin.

"That had better not be sarcasm I detect in your tone Mr. Potter," Mel said, narrowing her eyes playfully.

"Oh so it's good for you, but not me, is that it?" Harry asked with a wide grin.

"That about sums it up, yes," Mel nodded quickly, smiling sweetly at him.

"Well…as long as we have that straightened out," Harry said, shaking his head and grinning.

"We do," Mel nodded, leaning back onto Harry's chest and sighing softly as he wrapped his arm around her, before her tone went serious again and she continued. "So tell me about this Troy person…what has he done to make you think he doesn't like you?"

Harry explained as best he could remember, the brief conversations he'd held with Troy, deciding not to mention what happened with Snape in the hall just yet. He wanted to talk with the potions master about that himself first. But he did explain what he'd just found out from McGonagall earlier that day.

"Do you think his behavior towards you has anything to do with what happened to his parents?" Mel asked quietly when he'd finished talking.

"I really don't know," Harry replied honestly. "I know what he must feel like…we both lost our parents at the same age, in much the same way…but I just don't see how he could think it's my fault…"

"I think you're right, it doesn't make sense for that to be it," Mel said, and Harry could feel her shaking her head against him. "We need to know more…"

"The problem is that's about all Minerva would tell me…and I have no doubt that talking to Troy won't help the situation any…he doesn't like to talk to me about anything, so I'm pretty sure he won't exactly be eager to share personal information about his past with me.

"Maybe things will cool down as the school year goes on," Mel suggested lightly. "He might be willing to speak with you after he's had some time to get to know you."

"Maybe," Harry repeated with a nod, not believing it for a second. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"I'm sure it will all work out," Mel said confidently, "McGonagall wouldn't have chosen Troy to work here if she didn't trust him…"

"I know," Harry nodded, having gone over that again and again in his mind whenever he was thinking of Troy. It was the only thing that set him at ease. McGonagall had always been a wonderful judge of character, so despite Troy's attitude towards him, he must be a good person…deep down.

"Any change with Snape?" Mel's voice spoke again, startling him from his thoughts.

"Not really, no," Harry replied, rolling his eyes and grinning. "But that doesn't actually surprise me."

"I'm sure he'll come around as well," Mel said with a faint nod. "He may be angry now, but he won't back down from his responsibility when it comes down to it…he just needs some time."

"I hope you're right," Harry said softly, leaning his chin against her soft hair, gently.

"Don't worry about it right now," Mel said quietly, pulling away from him slightly and smiling up at him. "You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow, just concentrate on what you need to for the time being…"

"I know," Harry nodded, smiling back at her. "And you're right…that's exactly what I'm going to do. Snape can do what he wants, I can't worry about it right now."

"Of course I'm right," Mel said with a mischievous smirk, causing Harry to laugh at her. "Now," she continued sitting up further, "I don't want to keep you here…I'm sure you're very busy…"

"Oh I've still got a bit of time," Harry said quickly. "Though I should probably at least try to find that file before I forget…want to walk with me?"

"Absolutely," Mel grinned, taking his hand as they stood together. They walked through the silent halls, side by side, as Harry told her more about what he'd been having to do to prepare for classes. When they reached the file room on the second floor, Harry reached out, grasping the handle and pushing the door open.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Harry commented sardonically as he and Mel walked through the rows, upon rows of files, stacked as high as the ceiling in the rather small, stony cold room.

"Is there any order to it?" Mel asked, her eyes wide as she took in the site. The piles were so high they looked as if they might topple with the smallest of breezes.

"I'm not sure, exactly," Harry replied with a shrug, carefully inching around a particularly uneven stack before turning to help Mel past as well. "Let me show you how…" he trailed off as the sound of footsteps nearing them from the back of the room suddenly became clear. He hadn't realized anyone had been in the room with them. Glancing over his shoulder, Harry narrowed his eyes in confusion, as he finally saw who the person was…and it was the last person he'd ever expected it to be.

"Mr. Thurston?" Harry called out, raising an eyebrow questioningly, as the older man stepped into view.

"Potter," Thurston sneered, looking up with a start as he heard Harry's voice, and narrowing his eyes upon seeing him.

"What are you doing in here?" Harry asked, trying to sound stern, spying a file clutched in the minister's thin hands.

"That would be none of your business," Thurston replied, arrogantly, fixing Harry with a smug grin.

"And these files are none of yours," Harry replied evenly, refusing to back down. "This isn't one of the ministry archives, you have no authority to just go through these records without permission."

"The ministry is the reason this wretched school is even open, Mr. Potter," Thurston said in a dangerously low voice. "You will do well to remember that. If we want it shut down, it will be closed. And never speak to me about authority and needing permission. I'm not the one who has brought an unauthorized visitor into the student record room…" he trailed off, glancing pointedly at Mel.

"I'm not letting Mel go through the files," Harry said quickly, before continuing on. "Does Professor McGonagall know you're here?"

"I can come and go as I please, Potter."

"Only until tomorrow," another voice suddenly spoke up from the doorway. Harry turned his head quickly; glad to see Minerva glaring severely at Thurston. "Starting tomorrow, I need to see written notification in order for you to be anywhere in this school without an escort."

"I'm quite aware of that, Minerva," Thurston replied with a strained smile. "You know I'm only here to make sure things are running smoothly for you."

"Oh I'm sure that's all there is to your little visits," McGonagall replied with a faint nod, sounding entirely unconvinced.

"Albus himself asked me to check on you…in the event you needed help…" Mr. Thurston continued.

"Then I'm sure if he still wishes you to do so, he'll have no qualms with writing it up…as is the rule set in place by the ministry, after all," McGonagall stated evenly. She smiled sweetly at Thurston, before speaking again, in a softer tone. "Will there be anything else you need today, Mr. Thurston?"

"No," Thurston replied darkly. "I'm quite finished here, thank you." He nodded curtly, before starting forward again; he was nearly at the doorway, however, when Harry called out to him.

"You're not taking that file, right sir?" Harry asked, trying to keep his tone as polite as possible. Thurston simply glared back at him, a murderous look in his eyes, before turning with a flourish. He thrust the papers at McGonagall as he passed her, and stormed from the room without another word.

"That arrogant man," McGonagall spoke under her breath as she watched Thurston stalk down the corridor.

"Has he been here a lot over the summer?" Harry asked.

"At least once a week," Minerva replied, still looking somewhat agitated over the minister's attitude and intrusion. "Usually I'm able to stay close by him, but he does manage to slip away now and again…" she trailed off, shaking her head slowly. "Thankfully it will all stop as of tomorrow," she went on, coming into the room further. "Albus will be in charge at the ministry, and Marshall will have no choice but to ask his permission before coming here."

"Why would he be after one of the files though?" Mel asked, glancing down at the papers in McGonagall's hands.

"I don't know," Minerva replied gravely. "Though I've been very precise in keeping track of all the files we have on the students, among other things…none of them are missing."

"Well that one would have been the first then," Harry said, pointing to the file. "Because he seemed none too pleased about having to leave it here," he stated, before looking questioningly at the headmistress. "Who's is it, anyway?"

Minerva glanced down at the paperwork briefly, before meeting Harry's gaze once more.

"Hadley Thurnes, one of our first-years this term."

"Hadley Thurnes?" Harry repeated softly, barely recognizing the name from the list he'd gone through in his office. "Do you know anything about her? What would Thurston want with her file?"

"As I said, Harry," McGonagall began quickly, "I'm not certain what he would want with it…though I've been keeping Albus informed of Mr. Thurston's little visits for the last two months now. We'll find out what he's up to, sooner or later."

Harry nodded faintly before turning to glance around the room again, as Minerva set the file down on a stack of folders.

"Were you missing a set of records, Harry?" McGonagall spoke briskly as she looked up again. "Or was there something else you needed from in here?"

"I can't seem to find my file on Devon Murrt," Harry explained quickly. "I think I must have overlooked the name when I was last down here to collect the folders."

"Ah, very well then," McGonagall replied with a nod. "I shall leave you to your work, let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you," Harry smiled as Minerva nodded at both of them politely, before she turned and left the room.

"So," Mel began, giving Harry a funny smile. "Now that that ordeal has passed…"

"Never a dull moment, I know," Harry grinned and rolled his eyes.

"I've noticed," Mel nodded with a small laugh.

"Alright," Harry said, wanting to change the subject, "let me show you how this room works…"

"This I can't wait to see," Mel replied, giving a cautious look to the nearest stack of files. It was teetering precariously, stretching several feet into the air, towering above their heads.

"It's not much, actually," Harry said with a grin, before turning away and pulling out his wand. A set of letters appeared out of thin air before him the moment his wand was out, and quickly touched it to the letter M, waited a moment, then touched D. The letters quickly swirled out of view in a glittering of dust, reforming into the numbers 1 – 7. Harry touched his wand to 1, and the numbers disappeared. Two names came into view, and one of them was Murrt, Devon. Harry touched that one quickly, and the glitter light disappeared entirely.

"See?" Harry asked. "You use the initials for their first and last name, and the year they're in…that way it narrows it down for the names you have to choose from."

"I caught that," Mel replied with a wry grin. "So what now? How do you get…?" she trailed off as a bright light suddenly filled the front half of the room.

"There we are," Harry said with a grin. He crossed to the stack nearest the door, and raised his wand towards the light. It dimmed instantly, and a folder was slowly pulling itself out from the rather tall stack, which remained immobile as the file removed itself. Once it was completely free from the tower, Harry pocketed his wand and turned to Mel.

"Ah…wasn't that exciting?" he asked, jokingly.

"Mmm…the highlight of my day, yes," Mel replied with a smirk.

"I thought it would be," Harry laughed, faintly. "Though we should probably head back now. McGonagall didn't seem upset, but Thurston did have a point, I probably shouldn't have let you come in here…only staff members are allowed."

"Oh Harry, you should have told me that," Mel said, her face suddenly etched with worry. "I don't want to get you in trouble…"

"No, you didn't!" Harry said quickly, giving her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry…like I said, Minerva didn't look angry. And she's really the only one who has a real say in the matter…"

"Either way you have to tell me these things," Mel replied admonishingly, starting forward and taking Harry by the arm.

"Yes ma'am," Harry laughed as Mel pulled him forward. They paused for a moment in the hall, so he could shut the door, before starting back towards the stairs. They'd only made it a few feet, however, when Harry spotted someone coming towards them from the opposite end of the corridor.

"Oh wonderful," Harry muttered under his breath.

"What is it?" Mel asked, looking from the person coming towards them, to Harry, and back. "Is something wrong?"

"No, let's just keep walking," Harry replied hastily, hoping to simply pass by, when suddenly he heard a sneering voice call out to him.

"Who's that you've got with you, Potter?"

"Hello Troy," Harry replied stiffly, looking directly into his eyes. "Sorry but I'm in a bit of a hurry today and…"

"Yes of course, you'll want to be ready for your adoring public tomorrow," Troy replied scathingly, before turning his gaze away and resting his eyes on Mel.

"No that's not why I'm in a rush, now if you don't mind…" Harry began again.

"Hello," Troy cut him off, stepping forward towards Mel, a slick smile on his face. "My name's Troy Ryan, I'm the new transfiguration professor here."

"Yes, I've…heard a little about you…" Mel began uncertainly as Troy took her hand in his, gazing into her eyes.

"Might I have the pleasure of your name then?" Troy asked graciously.

"Take your hands off her," Harry cut in suddenly, narrowing his eyes warningly.

"Why?" Troy asked, his eyes flashing angrily as he glared at Harry, "I'm sure this lovely young lady can make decisions for herself."

"Melanie," Mel cut in suddenly, causing both men to stop and look at her. "My name is Melanie Tristen," she said evenly, slowly pulling her hand away from Troy's grasp.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Melanie Tristen," Troy spoke courteously, smiling warmly at her while he spoke. "Do you work at Hogwarts as well?" he asked.

"No, I don't," Mel replied simply, and Harry couldn't help but smirk at her response. She wasn't telling Troy where she worked, or any other information about herself other than her name.

"We should get going," Harry spoke up then, slipping his hand softly into Mel's, feeling her entwine her fingers in his own. "See you around, Troy," he added, off-handedly.

"I hope to see you again, Melanie," Troy said quickly, ignoring Harry. He smiled at her, as if waiting for a response, and after a brief moment, turned away at last. He continued up the hall and Harry watched as the other man entered the file room they'd just come from.

"Everyone's looking for files today it seems," Mel commented, having followed Troy's progress as well.

"Yes well, it is hectic around here right now," Harry nodded, turning back to her as they began walking side by side through the corridor. "Sorry about that."

"You're sorry about everything, Harry," Mel laughed. "Try not to say it unless what you're apologizing for is actually your fault, won't you?"

"Yes well I'd really rather you not have met him…" Harry said, feeling a coldness inside of him as he thought of the way Troy had been staring at Mel. It wasn't as if he'd never seen other guys look at her when they'd been out together, and he didn't let it get to him when they did. But he didn't trust Troy, and he had a strong hunch Snape felt the same way. Until he knew more, he'd prefer Mel be nowhere near him. "C'mon," he continued, forcing the thoughts from his head for the moment and smiling down at her. "Let's head back upstairs."

"I probably shouldn't keep you from your work any longer," Mel said as they reached the entrance to Harry's office. "You must have so much to do still…"

"No it's alright," Harry said quickly, smiling reassuringly at her as he pushed the door open. "I'd love it if you'd stay a bit longer…if you don't have to be somewhere, that is…"

"I don't have to be anywhere today," Mel shrugged, looking suddenly sad. Harry slowly slipped his arm around her, drawing her into a comforting embrace as he led her towards the couch in the corner.

"I know this must be hard for you," Harry said softly as they sat back against the soft cushions. "I'm right here if you need to talk…"

"No, thank you," Mel replied quietly, before looking into his eyes, giving a half-smile. "I'm fine."

"Well, I can't say that I believe you," Harry said gently, meeting Mel's gaze directly. "But I'm not going to force you to talk about it."

"Really there's nothing to talk about," Mel began hastily, looking down at her hands. "I've done everything I can do…Jack doesn't want to be found. By now he's…he's probably…" she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. She brought her petite hands up to her face, covering her eyes, but Harry could tell by the slight shaking of her shoulders that she had begun to cry, and his heart went out to her.

"It's alright Mel," he whispered gently, wrapping his arms around her, feeling her press her face into the crook of his neck as he pulled her closer, her hands grasping weakly at his shirt as she wept, not trying to hide it any longer.

"It's n-not alright," Mel spoke after several long moments, her voice thick with grief. "He d-d-didn't even let me say g-goodbye…"

"I know," Harry whispered, stroking her hair gently. "I know…"

He didn't argue with her, didn't try to get her to calm down. It was probably best to let her get this out…and he would be by her side as long as she needed him there. After a short while, Harry felt her breathing begin to even out again, as Mel began to stir.

"I'm sorry," she said suddenly, starting to pull away, a glassy look in her eyes. "I didn't want to do this to you…you have so much on your mind and…"

"Don't apologize," Harry interrupted quickly. "You have nothing to be sorry for." He paused, before continuing with a half-smile, "what was it you were just telling me…about saying you're sorry?" he asked with a hint of playfulness.

"I don't do that nearly as often as you do," Mel replied quietly, looking up at him, but Harry was glad to see a small grin on her face.

"That's true, you don't," he admitted with a faint nod. He felt her body pressing into him again, and rested against the back of the couch as Mel laid her head upon his damp shoulder once more.

"Oh," she laughed slightly, "your shirt…I'm sorry…"

"No more apologies from you Miss Tristen," Harry spoke up, smiling down at Mel. "My shirt will dry, it's not as if you've ruined it or anything."

"Yes sir," Mel replied softly, grinning back at him. She put her head down again and the two simply sat, Harry holding Mel in his arms, content to be in each other's presence. He knew he could do nothing to ease her pain short of finding Jack and bringing him to her. But he had to admit he agreed with Mel's assumption, Jack wasn't expected to make it this long. When Harry had seen him just over a month ago he'd seemed very weak, and the fact that he hadn't bothered to take any of his medication with him when he left only reinforced the feeling.

"Alright," Mel began with a soft sigh, slowly pushing herself back from Harry. "I know you say you aren't busy, but I don't want to keep you from getting ready any longer. I do have a few things to do today as it is before the ceremony tomorrow.

"Oh you're going? That's wonderful," Harry said, standing up as Mel did.

"Yes I'm going," she replied smiling. "At least one of us has to be there when Dumbledore gets sworn in. You, Hermione and Ginny won't be able to make it…and I'm not sure about Ron…so that leaves me."

"Well I hope you have fun…take a picture or two if you can. Oh and make sure one of them shows Thurston's expression…I'd love to see his face as Albus becomes head minister…"

"I'll try," Mel laughed, looking like herself again. The crossed the room to the door together, before she turned to face him once more. "Good bye Harry, I'll try to visit when I can."

"As often as you can…and as often as you like," Harry replied with a nod. He leant down as she raised her face to his, and kissed her softly, drinking in her scent, letting it fill him. He already missed her terribly and she was right there in his arms. Slipping his hand down her back, he deepened the kiss, feeling her hands sliding up his arms, towards his neck. When at last he felt her begin to pull away, he loosened his grasp slightly, and took a deep breath.

"I'll see you soon, I promise," Mel spoke after a moment, the longing in her eyes reflecting what he felt perfectly. He nodded faintly, giving her forehead a soft kiss before releasing her entirely.

"Take care," he said softly. "And stop by whenever you need to…I don't care what I'm doing…if you need me, I'm right here, okay?"

"Thank you," she replied, smiling sincerely. They both said good-bye once more, before Mel finally tore her eyes away from Harry's gaze and stepped through the door. For a moment, he looked after her, watching her walk away until she was completely out of sight, before shutting the door softly, and heading back towards his desk.

The next morning Harry awoke feeling anxious and excited. He dressed quickly in a set of deep green robes and stepped in front of the full-length mirror, which was just next to his closet. Try as he might to work with it, his hair would forever refuse to cooperate with him. He considered, for a moment, perhaps using a spell to force his unruly locks down so he might look more like a teacher, but shook the idea off quickly. He wanted to work on simply feeling like a professor first, which seemed impossible at the moment.

Worries that he'd been mulling over the past few weeks were suddenly magnified today, and he didn't even start lessons until tomorrow. What if he couldn't get the students to listen, or do as he asked? What if something went wrong? And worst of all, what if a student was hurt?

"Alright Harry," he said aloud to himself, in a firm tone. "This is not the way to start out your first day."

Taking a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, he grabbed his wand and pocket watch, before starting downstairs for the great hall.

All through breakfast, McGonagall went through exactly what was to happen when the students arrived. Hagrid, as always, would be escorting the first years in by way of the lake, while the rest of the students would take the carriages.

"Severus," she said briskly, not taking her eyes off the papers in front of her as she spoke. "You are sure you still want to take care of the sorting?" she asked.

"Of course, Minerva," Severus replied respectfully, "You have a great deal on your mind and I know you have many duties and responsibilities to appoint, that is why I offered."

Harry raised an eyebrow, looking curiously at Snape, who paid no attention to him, but didn't say anything. It would feel strange seeing the potions master lead the students in, hearing him call out the names for the sorting, but as headmistress it could no longer be McGonagall's responsibility.

"Very well, you will need to be at the lakeside entrance when Hagrid arrives, lead the students up the great hall from there. I will have the list of names prepared for you."

Snape nodded faintly, and the small meeting went on. Harry ate very little of his meal all throughout the discussion, and when it was finally over, he made his way back to his office to wait for that evening, and whatever it would bring.

"Over here Harry, Minerva asked that you be seated next to her."

"Thank you Pomona," Harry replied, nodding at Professor Sprout as he slipped behind her towards the empty chair. The day had passed quickly and it was nearly time for the students to arrive. McGonagall was of course, making sure a few last minute details were in order. During the meeting earlier she had gone through all the announcements she had intended to make to the students tonight, and how she was going to introduce both Harry and Troy as new professors.

Harry glanced around, feeling a small twinge of anxiety as he took in the very empty hall. For the past seven years he'd spent a great deal of his time in here, and had a mix of both wonderful and unpleasant memories from the events that had taken place throughout that time.

One by one, the other teachers filed into the room, taking seats all along the head table. Harry saw Professor Vector speaking to Troy as soon as he entered, and directing him towards the seat on the opposite side of McGonagall's.

Troy took his seat, not bothering to even glance in Harry's direction. He turned his chair slightly away and began speaking animatedly with Professor Flitwick, who was acting as jovial as he ever did. This didn't offend Harry in the least, however, as he had no desire to speak with Troy tonight anyway. He turned away as well; glancing down his end of the table, noticing the chair beside him was still vacant.

"All prepared for the school year, Harry?" Professor Sprout's voice floated over to him from two seats away.

"I hope so," Harry replied with a faint grin.

"Not to worry, dear. You'll do fine," Pomona nodded confidently. "Everyone goes through the first day once."

"I know," Harry nodded. "And I hope you're right."

He stopped speaking abruptly as the soft swishing of robes brushed his arm, causing him to glance up.

"Hello Harry," the airily soft voice spoke.

"Good evening Professor Trelawny," Harry replied politely, inwardly groaning as he watched the divination instructor stop at the empty chair just beside him.

"Sybill, Harry dear," she corrected him gently. "We're colleagues now, no need for such formalities, right?"

"Right," Harry nodded faintly, praying she would keep going. He didn't think he'd be able to take it if he had to endure her horribly false predictions through yet another school year.

"Sybill, please take your seat down the end, we need to get started," Minerva's brisk voice spoke up suddenly, for which Harry couldn't have been more grateful. Trelawny gave McGonagall an insulted look, before stiffly continuing on down the row of chairs.

"Thank you," Harry said quickly as the headmistress took her seat next to him.

"You didn't think I'd make you put up with her all year, did you?" she smiled wryly back at him.

Harry laughed slightly, shaking his head in reply, before simply sitting back in his chair to wait. Still no one came to take the seat beside him, and Harry started to wonder who it would be, when the doors to the great hall slowly swung open, and the upper classmen began to file in.

Harry tried to look casual as he watched the students enter the great hall. Most of them were busy talking to one another, engrossed in their conversations, but a few glanced over the head table as soon as it was in view, and every one of them did a double take when their eyes fell upon Harry. He watched as the word spread like wildfire, all the students who'd spotted him quickly notifying the others, whose eyes would immediately widen as they too saw him, and the fierce whispering began. Harry looked over at McGonagall who smiled reassuringly at him, before turning her gaze back upon the hall.

When Harry finally saw Ginny step through the double doors, he felt slightly more at ease. She smiled up at him brightly, having already been told of Harry's job by Ron, and made her way towards the Gryffindor table. But the calm Harry felt was short-lived, however, when the Creevey brothers entered the hall. Dennis spotted Harry first, and immediately turned to his brother.

"Colin! Look at the head table!" he said rather loudly, an excited gleam in his eyes as he smiled widely.

"What is…?" Colin began, trailing off as his eyes widened in surprise. He'd looked in the direction his younger brother was pointing and immediately spotted Harry.

"Harry!" he yelled happily. "What are you doing up there?"

Harry could feel the blood rushing to his face and cringed inwardly as many of the students grew quiet. Colin had been able to act somewhat normally around him for the past few years, why did now have to be the time he acted up again?

A soft snickering coming from his right caught Harry's attention, and he knew it was Troy, but paid no attention. He forced himself to meet Colin's gaze, and motioned for him to get to his table, before releasing a long breath and sitting back in his chair.

"Well that was amusing, won't he be fun to teach?" Troy spoke up, looking quite entertained.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Harry replied stiffly, turning his head to meet Troy's eyes as the both leant forward in their seats.

"But I'm sure he won't be the only one who's excited to have you as their instructor, right? Wouldn't any kid be happy to have someone they consider a friend as their teacher? Gives them a sort of freedom in class, does it not? They feel they can get away with more…"

"That's enough Troy," Minerva said firmly, with no hint of anger in her tone. She gave the young man a stern look, however, before turning back to the students.

Harry was grateful for McGonagall's interruption, however it didn't ease his tension any. Troy had begun to address the many issues Harry was worried about having to face. What was going to happen the first time he needed to punish or take points from a Gryffindor?

He had to force this feeling away however, as the students were at last finished seating themselves. It was time for Snape to bring in the first years.

Barely a full minute passed, before the doors to the room swung open once more, and Snape walked in, leading a good sized group of children in a straight line behind him. Harry smiled as he watched them staring in awe at their surroundings, the floating candles, the bewitched ceiling, and the elaborately laid out house tables. Their eyes were all wide with wonder and anxiety as they were brought to a halt at the front of the room.

The same nervous look was also in each student's eyes, which he well remembered from his first day. They realized they would be tested in some way, and didn't feel prepared to pass.

Snape was just setting the four-legged stool down in front of the first years, when Harry felt a brush of material against his left arm, and turned to look at who was there.

"Hagrid!" he whispered happily as the large man tried to maneuver himself around into the small space left for him.

"'Lo Harry," Hagrid replied quietly, a small grin on his face. He started to pull the chair in front of him back from the table, raising an eyebrow at it skeptically. The sorting hat had already begun its song, for the entire hall to hear, while Hagrid was straining not to make too much noise.

"Here," Harry whispered quickly, slipping his wand out of his pocket. He tapped the chair twice and in the next instant, it had grown double its size.

"Thanks," Hagrid nodded gratefully, lowering himself into the chair. He kept slightly back from the table, as it was still a tight fit, but he looked much more relaxed then he had a moment ago.

Harry wanted to talk to his friend, he'd barely gotten any chance to see him throughout the whole week he'd been at the school, but he knew now wasn't the time. The hat had finished its song and the hall had erupted in applause.

"Now, when I call your name," Snape began as the chatter died down, his voice stiff and authoritative, "I want you to come sit on the stool, and you will be sorted into your house."

He cleared his throat faintly as he unfurled the scroll, and began reading off the names.

"Anderson, Natalie!"

A short girl with olive skin, green eyes and dirty blonde hair moved out of line hesitantly, moving forward and lifting herself up onto the stool. Snape lowered the hat over her head, covering her eyes as it always did, and everyone waited.

"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.

The table second to the left began cheering and clapping as Natalie slid off the stool and made her way over to them, beaming happily.

"Clements, Ariele!"

A pale-skinned girl with dark brown – nearly black eyes and light brown hair stepped forward softly, going through the same process as the first.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Ariele jumped off the stool excitedly amongst all the cheering, and made her way to the Gryffindor table.

On and on it went, student after student. Harry listened carefully to each name, trying to commit them to memory by matching them with the students' faces, feeling this would be a much harder task than any instructor had ever made it seem to him, when one of the names caught his attention.

"Murrt, Devon!"

Harry recognized the name instantly as the file he'd been missing only the day before. Leaning forward, he saw a small, pale boy with short black hair and blue eyes step forward, looking quite tense. He heaved himself up onto the stool and the hat came down over his eyes. The hall waited in silence for a moment when the hat seemed to suddenly make its decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted for all to hear.

Harry could see Devon smiling happily as the hat was pulled back from his head and he ran over to meet his cheering housemates. The boy was beaming so fiercely that Harry couldn't help but smile for him. He could well remember the feeling when the hat had called out the same verdict for him as well, he couldn't have been any happier.

Neblin, Nusseckt, Peram, Rimmer…the names continued to be called, and the group of first years standing at the front of the room grew thinner and thinner. Harry was sitting back; ready to give up the task of memorizing names. He already couldn't place the ones that had been sorted early on, and would just have to hope it would be easier to do when he had them in class.

"Thurnes, Hadley!"

Harry sat forward again instantly, recognizing this name as the one from the file Thurston had tried to steal, as a small girl stepped towards the stool. He raised an eyebrow curiously, feeling she looked strangely familiar. She had long black hair that fell past her hips, and piercing blue eyes.

Harry waited, somewhat tensely, as the hat was lowered over her eyes and the silence came once more. What felt to Harry like ages passed by one long second at a time, when finally the hat's voice filled the hall once more.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The petite girl slid delicately off the stool, getting a faint smile from Snape, as only the new Slytherins had received thus far, and headed for her table, which was applauding loudly. Harry stared after her, still feeling she looked somehow familiar, but unable to place where from.

The sorting continued and Harry tried to pay attention to the few remaining students, but his mind was racing, trying to figure out why he thought he recognized Hadley Thurnes. He'd certainly never heard her name before, or met anyone with the same surname, so he didn't think he knew her family, but still there was something.

Soon enough, however, Snape was carrying the stool off to the side of the room and taking his seat just beside Troy at the head table. McGonagall had decided to give the announcements before dinner this year, and tapped her water glass with a spoon lightly before standing and looking out over the school. If she was nervous in the slightest, Harry couldn't tell. Her features were set in an expression that commanded authority, but not fear. The hall went silent as they realized the professor was going to speak, and she had their rapt attention.

"Good evening," she began with a soft nod. "As many of you may be aware, Albus Dumbledore, the former headmaster of Hogwarts, will not be here with us this year. He is moving on to work with the ministry of magic, and has asked that I take his place."

There was a light scattering of applause, which McGonagall let go on for a few seconds, nodding faintly, before continuing.

"There are several new changes taking place this year among the staff. Two new professors have joined us. Taking my place as your Transfiguration instructor," she said, turning and gesturing to her right, "Professor Troy Ryan."

Troy stood up, giving a faint smile and nod to the students, who applauded quite loudly. McGonagall had been a very good instructor, but no one minded the fact that she wouldn't be teaching any longer, or miss the piles of homework she would assign.

When the applause had died down, the headmistress now turned to her left.

"We also have this year, a new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor Harry Potter."

A loud cheering rang out through the great hall, and even though a great many of the Slytherins weren't making a sound, the applause Harry received was far louder than that of Troy's.

He couldn't help but smile as he looked out over the students, feeling a wave of relief wash over him due to the simple fact that it seemed so many of them were happy to have him there. He wasn't sure they'd be accepting of him taking Remus' place, as Professor Lupin had been loved by so many students.

"And," McGonagall went on before Harry could take his seat, "as I will no longer be able to continue my position as head of Gryffindor house, Professor Potter will be taking on that responsibility as well."

The cheer that rose up this time was enormous, and the whole of the Gryffindor table stood, some banging their mugs on the heavy wooden table as they applauded their new head of house. Harry couldn't have hoped for a better reception. He smiled once more as the clapping went on, before taking his seat. The instructors nearest him were all smiling for him, and Hagrid was positively beaming with pride, clapping him on the back affectionately to show his congratulations.

As he turned away to look back towards McGonagall, however, Harry didn't fail to notice the look of anger and jealously on Troy's face as he glared at him from just below the headmistress' view.

Harry took his seat as McGonagall continued addressing the students. He didn't pay any further attention to Troy, as he was now getting tired of this game. If Troy was going to throw dirty looks at him but never admit that anything was wrong then Harry was simply going to ignore him from now on. And if Snape didn't see fit to tell him what he knew about the new transfiguration professor, then it probably wasn't all that important, now was it?

As Minerva finally finished speaking about the rules and restrictions of Hogwarts and sat down, every plate in the great hall immediately filled with food, and the students began to eat ravenously. Harry could easily remember how hungry he'd been each year after the very long train ride to the school, no matter how much candy they'd consumed on the way there.

"All set fer yer firs' less'n there 'arry?"

Harry glanced to his side to see Hagrid grinning at him between shoveling food into his mouth at an alarmingly fast rate.

"I hope so," Harry replied with a faint nod, feeling a twinge of nervousness just thinking about class tomorrow.

"Yeh'll do jes fine," Hagrid said with a casual wave of his hand. "Once yer pas the first less'n it gets much easier."

"I'm sure it does," Harry grinned, not voicing the fact that it was the first lesson that had him so nervous to begin with. It was with the first-year Gryffindor and Slytherins, student's he'd only just seen for the first time today. He only hoped that it would go smoothly.

As dinner went on, Harry listened while Hagrid told him what he considered to be helpful and sound advice for a new professor. While Harry had his doubts that Hagrid was the best person to be taking any advice from, as every year in his class there had been one disaster or another, he would never hurt his friend's feelings, and thanked him for his help. It had been a long while since he'd really sat down and had a talk with Hagrid, and Harry realized how much he'd missed his friend. Even though he'd been back at Hogwarts for Harry's seventh year, the two rarely got to see one another outside of class.

When dinner was finally coming to a close, Harry and Hagrid waited while McGonagall instructed the prefects to lead their houses back to their dormitories, before speaking once more.

"How's about we have a spot 'o tea at the end of the week? Yeh can tell me all about your first less'n then, and we can do a bit 'o cetchin up."

"Sounds good to me," Harry nodded, as he stood with the rest of the head table. They waited until every last student was out of the great hall and on the way to their common rooms, before exiting the room themselves.

The next morning, Harry woke up very early. He'd had a bit of trouble getting to sleep, and had woken several times throughout the night. Despite the wonderful reception he'd received at the opening feast, his nerves were still working at him, and he just wanted to get the first class over with, and get into the flow of things.

McGonagall had told him that it wasn't necessary that he look in on his house at night unless he felt he had to. As head of Gryffindor, it was now his decision if he wanted to make that a new rule or not, but he opted to keep things as they were. He'd always enjoyed being able to sit up late in the common room while he was a student, and didn't want to take that away from anyone living in that tower now. His quarters were close enough to the common room anyway, and if there was too much noise being made, he would hear it easily.

Slipping quietly out of bed, Harry went to his closet and pulled out a white shirt and a pair of dark blue pants. The robes he chose for his first day were also blue, but a few shades lighter. Changing quickly, Harry examined his reflection in the long mirror just beside the closet, fussing in vein with his hair for just a moment before giving up. The students that knew him would recognize him easier as he was anyway.

He left his quarters quietly, walking the short distance through the silent halls to his office and stepping inside. Crossing to his desk, Harry sat down and began to rifle through the papers once more. He grabbed his lesson plan for the first-years and started to scan the file's contents, wanting to make sure he hadn't overlooked anything while knowing full well he hadn't. He'd been over these papers so many times now he had them nearly memorized, but when it came to actually trying to teach these children, to convey his knowledge into an understandable lesson, that's what worried him.

"Just relax Harry," he told himself softly as he sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. There was still two hours until the class would begin, and he didn't want to spend that time getting himself worked up over it. He had to stay calm, or at least give the impression that he wasn't nervous to everyone else.

Standing up from the desk, he started towards the large window to get a breath of the cool morning air, when a large, dark shape caught his eye, coming straight at him.

After less than a second, Harry recognized the shape to be an owl, and stepped back out of its way as it glided gracefully into his office. It dropped something on his desk in one swoop, before giving a sharp squawk and flying back out the window, leaving a few stray feathers behind.

Harry moved towards his desk, plucking the rolled parchment from its surface and unfurling it. It was the Daily Prophet. He'd nearly forgotten that Minerva had told him all professors received a copy of the wizarding newspaper for free starting on the first day of classes.

Sitting back down in his chair, he started to scan the front page, not surprised to see it was taken up entirely by an article about Dumbledore being sworn into office on the previous day. He smiled as he read through the story, and laughed to himself when he saw the pictures. There were several of Dumbledore, addressing the crowds and shaking hands with his fellow ministers, but the one Harry loved the most was one showing Marshall Thurston, standing just beside Dumbledore, with a very strained smile on his thin face.

Harry wished he could have been there for his professor, his friend, on such an important day for him, but he knew Albus understood. No one from Hogwarts was able to attend, though they felt nothing but pride for the former headmaster. He deserved this honor, he had for a long time, and now he was where he should be, where he could make a real difference for the wizarding world and not have to argue with some pompous fool over every situation that presented itself. Fudge had been bad, and Thurston was worse, things could only improve now that Dumbledore was head of the ministry.

For a little under an hour, Harry flipped through the pages of the newspaper, skimming the articles and simply relaxing. It was nice to have something else to occupy his mind for the time being. He pulled out his pocket watch as he set the paper down and noticed it was time for breakfast. Turning back to the stack of papers, Harry grabbed the pile that he would need for today's class, and set them aside, before crossing the office floor and exiting the room quietly, starting down the corridor towards the great hall.

Harry didn't have much of an appetite as he sat at the head table between Minerva and Hagrid. There was a very familiar twisting sensation going on within him and he was strongly reminded of the morning of his first ever quidditch match. In another attempt to get his mind off of things for the time being, Harry began to think about the Gryffindor house team this year. They would need both a keeper and seeker, and it would be best to find them soon so as to begin training them right away. He would have to ask Ginny what they were planning on doing for that. He also realized they would need a new captain as well.

A brief wave of nostalgia flitted through Harry as he wished he could still play for his house this year. He'd not been allowed to play a full season since his fifth year, and now he wouldn't be able to at all. He knew he wasn't head of the team any longer, and would never push the current members into doing anything they didn't want to, but he hoped they wouldn't mind him asking every now and again, about their training and such…

Breakfast passed by quickly, and even though Harry knew he'd spoken with Hagrid while he attempted to eat, he couldn't for the life of him remember one thing they'd talked about. He just needed to get through this lesson, that was all. The first one would be the hardest, for sure…once it was over, the rest would start to get easier…or at least he hoped.

As the students began to file out of the hall, Harry made his way back up to his office and grabbed the stack of papers he'd set aside, making sure yet again, they were the correct ones, before exiting the room once more. His heart was beating in his chest as he walked the halls to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and he had to stop outside the door and take a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. This was far more nerve-racking than any other experience he could bring to mind at this moment, though given his current state, that probably wasn't saying much. He was surprised he'd found his way down here without taking a wrong turn.

Entering the room slowly, Harry was glad to see none of the students had arrived yet, and he crossed the room to the head desk, setting his papers down gently. No sooner had he done this, however, than he heard footsteps behind him, and the first student entered the room. Harry was surprised that he not only recognized the girl, but he remembered her name from the sorting, Ariele Clements. She stepped through the doorway, clutching her books to her as she walked, and was followed immediately by another Gryffindor girl, but one that Harry didn't recognize right off. He smiled warmly at the two girls as they made their way over to the desk at the front of the class, while other students slowly began to file in.

Harry simply stood at the front of the classroom, getting a good look at each student that came through the door, trying to remember their names from the previous night as they found seats. As was usual for the Gryffindor/Slytherin classes, the students divided the room in half, neither house wanting to mingle with the other.

Harry smirked to himself, having known this was going to be the case. Even he, who had only just learned of the wizarding world a short while before he actually arrived at school for his very first year of classes, had wanted to stay as far from the Slytherins as possible. He supposed most all of the students knew about the house rivalry between the two long before they received their letters of acceptance.

As Harry glanced towards the door again, he at last spotted another student he recognized, Devon Murrt. Devon had only just begun to put his foot through the door, however, when he was obviously pushed from behind, and had to step forward quickly to keep his balance. Harry stiffened instantly, hoping there wouldn't be a fight before class had even begun, but ready to break it up just in case, when he saw the student he'd been waiting for step through the entrance, Hadley Thurnes.

"Sorry," she said, smiling sweetly as she passed by Devon, who was staring suspiciously after her, but she never gave him a second glance, she strode across the room confidently, her long black hair billowing softly with her movements, as she stopped at a desk which was occupied by another Slytherin girl. The two began chatting immediately and Harry watched them for a moment, before glancing back towards Devon. The boy was already at a desk, paying no further attention to Hadley and looking through the book for class.

As the last few students trickled slowly into the room, Harry checked the clock on the wall to see the time had come at last, his first class as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had now officially begun.

Clearing his throat softly, Harry went to the door and shut it quietly, before slowly moving back to the front of the class and facing the many eyes that were following his progress.

"Good Morning," he said with a warm smile as he looked out over the class. "Will all of you please turn to page four in your books."

He moved back behind the desk as the students complied, trying to keep up a calm appearance. He had decided not to give a big introduction, but rather simply to get right into the lesson. The only instructor he'd had who'd done otherwise had been Gilderoy Lockheart, and Harry wanted to stay as far away from his teaching methods as possible.

When the rustling of pages died down, Harry took a deep breath, before beginning to speak.

"How many of you know what a Billywig is?" he asked simply, glancing over the room. A few students raised their hands into the air, but the majority seemed unsure. "Would any of you like to explain to the rest of us what it is and where it comes from?" he asked. Several hands dropped instantly, whether they didn't know how to explain it or they just didn't want to speak in front of the class, but of the few remaining, Harry glanced around before choosing a student.

"Hadley," he said softly, nodding towards the girl whose hand was raised lazily above her, "please give us your explanation."

"It's a bug," the girl replied simply, shrugging as she dropped her arm back to the desk. Harry started to reply when Hadley continued, a sardonic, bored tone to her voice. "They're really rather boring creatures actually…"

"Thank you Hadley," Harry said gently, but with a firm edge to his voice. "I'm glad you seem to feel confident about this particular creature, but some of your fellow classmates might not…"

"But professor, they're not even dangerous," Hadley persisted, the expression on her face showing Harry full well she was doing this on purpose.

"Many of the creatures we learn about in this class will not be a great danger, no," Harry explained. "But it is still necessary that you are all made aware of them." Hadley opened her mouth, most likely to make yet another snide comment, but Harry put up a hand. "If you would still like to continue this discussion, we can do so after class Miss Thurnes. For now, however, we need to get back to the lesson."

He turned away as Hadley's expression darkened at her fun being cut short, and looked out once again over the rest of the class.

"Would anyone else care to give an explanation?" The hands went up again, and Harry called looked at the table directly in front of him. "Ariele?" he asked, hoping he'd remembered the girl's name correctly. He saw her small smile at hearing her name called and knew he had.

"A Billywig is a bright blue insect with wings on the top of its head that spin around in a circle. It's not very long but it can move so fast you might not be able to see it, and it has a stinger on its lower end," Ariele said with ease, looking pleased with herself as she finished speaking.

"That's right," Harry nodded with a small smile. "Five points for Gryffindor."

As he started to glance up he noticed Devon had a strained expression on his face, as if he had something to say but wasn't raising his hand to take the initiative. Deciding to take a chance, Harry met the boy's gaze and spoke in a curious tone.

"Devon? Was there something you wanted to add to the explanation?"

For a moment, the boy didn't give any indication that he was going to respond, and Harry hoped he didn't embarrass him, when suddenly he began to speak, in a low tone.

"Well, Ariele got it right…I didn't have much to add…"

"If you'll tell us I'd like to hear it anyway," Harry said with an encouraging smile.

"Okay," Devon nodded faintly, his hands clasping his robes, twisting them absently. "Basically, I was only going to add that the Billywig is native to Australia, is around half an inch long and its body is sort of bulbous on top, before it slims down into the stinger at its bottom. Um…it doesn't like bright lights…oh, also…when their stings are dried up they're used in several different potions."

Harry smiled down at the boy who seemed quite nervous and fidgety at having been asked to speak in front of his classmates.

"Excellent," Harry said happily, "another five points for Gryffindor."

As he started to turn away from the class, for the next part of the lesson, he heard a voice from the Slytherin half of the room and recognized it as Hadley's immediately. She was speaking very quietly, almost under her breath, and Harry hoped she wasn't going to start in again. He would hate to take points away from Slytherin so early in the class, and knew she was probably upset that she had gained no points for her answer, but it hadn't been correct. He wasn't going to give points just to make sure both sides were even, he would only give them when they were deserved.

"Now," Harry spoke firmly, "we aren't exactly going to have a practical lesson today, but I would like you all to get a better idea of what exactly these creatures are. Would one student from each table please form a line at the front of the room please."

Almost immediately, the students broke out in muffled chatter, quickly deciding amongst one another which from each pair would head up to the front. When at last a full line had been formed, Harry gestured for them to come closer to where he stood, nearest the left side of the class, where a rather large chest was lying.

Opening the trunk swiftly, Harry began to pull out small black boxes, each covered with a small curtain, and handed one to each student. The line moved quickly and after several minutes the class was seated again, with a black box sat on every desk. Pulling out his wand, Harry dimmed the lights to a soft glow, before addressing the class once more.

"Alright, now if you will, please draw back the curtains to your boxes."

The students did as they were instructed, and a scattering of whispers could be heard here and there, as the students glimpsed the sapphire-blue creatures. It was always an entirely different experience seeing a creature in person, rather than just looking at a picture in a book, and Harry hoped to do that for his first-years as often as possible, as they were pretty much the only class that would be working with semi-safe creatures.

"These, are full-grown Billywigs," Harry said as he now walked through the desks, looking around at the students' reactions to seeing the creatures. "As you can see they have the capability of moving at incredible speeds, and their stinger is exceptionally sharp. Can anyone tell me what happens to you if you are stung by a Billywig?"

Before anyone was even given a chance to raise their hand, however, a hushed yelp was heard from the right side of the room. Harry looked up immediately to see Hadley gripping one of her hands in the other, a faint grimace on her face. His eyes instinctively went to the black box on her desk, to see the top of it had been pulled open slightly, and the creature that was supposed to be flitting around inside of it, was missing.

"Everyone close the curtains to your boxes immediately," Harry stated firmly to the class while pulling out his wand. The students responded at once, all of them doing as they were told, while throwing nervous glances towards Hadley and the empty box in front of her. She was absently rubbing her hand now, and the wounded expression on her face had slowly become a silly grin. The girl giggled quietly, looking at the air around her.

Harry knew the fluid that had been injected into Hadley from the Billywig was already taking effect. And while it wasn't particularly dangerous, she still needed to see Madam Pomfrey right away. He waved his wand quickly causing the dimmed lights to grow brighter instantly, and the Billywig that had been let loose was immediately visible. It was hovering in the air, well above the desks on the right side of the classroom, but as soon as the light hit it, the small creature seemed to panic. The wings on the top of its head began spinning furiously, and it darted towards the floor so swiftly it blurred nearly out of sight.

Harry kept his eyes on it, however, and started towards Hadley's desk as he saw the Billywig dash beneath it. He began to kneel down as he reached the table, intending on simply immobilizing the creature long enough to get it back in its box, when there was a sudden movement just beside him.

"No!" Hadley cried giddily as she slid off her chair and started to crawl beneath the desk. "Don't kill it!"

"Hadley, please…" Harry started to say in a fierce whisper as he reached out to pull the girl back to her seat. The fluid was already clouding her mind, and she wanted more. She was faster than he'd expected, however, and ducked out of his grasp. Harry heard a yelp from under the desk less than a second later as the Billywig must have stung her again, followed immediately by a playful laugh.

"Fantastic," Harry muttered sardonically and he ducked his head under the desk as well, taking hold of Hadley's arms from behind. She didn't fight him, and he pulled her out from under the musty table, only to find she'd managed to catch the Billywig in her hand. The rest of the class, who had been watching with great interest, now broke out in a hushed laughter when they caught sight of the small Slytherin girl.

Hadley was holding the tiny top-shaped creature in her left hand, its wings twirling frantically in an attempt to escape, while she kept thrusting the stinger down repeatedly on her right arm, wincing slightly each time she felt its sharp prick, but obviously enjoying the sensation that followed.

"Alright Hadley, that's enough," Harry said firmly as he reached for the girl's hand.

"No!" Hadley whined, not wanting to lose her new toy, but at the same time laughing uncontrollably. She tried to scramble away but couldn't, as she was no longer touching the floor.

"Dammit," Harry muttered inaudibly. Hadley had been stung so many times that she was levitating now, which meant she needed to get to the hospital wing fast. The situation wasn't fatal, but if the antidote wasn't given to her soon, she'd be floating for the rest of her life.

"All of you please stay seated," Harry called out, now easily snatching the Billywig away from Hadley, who was looking entirely content with her new predicament. He placed the small, frazzled creature back in the box, before turning to Hadley once more, and taking her by the arm. The lightheaded girl was now trying to push herself through the air in much the same way one would swim through water, and having little success.

"I will be back in a few moments," Harry continued quickly. "No one is to touch the boxes or leave the room."

He glanced over the students briefly, to see them nodding faintly while still whispering eagerly to one another about what they'd just seen. Deciding they'd most likely be just fine with their gossip, Harry carefully maneuvered Hadley's floating form through the doorway, as she laughed at anything in sight, before starting to lead her up the corridor.

Harry got Hadley to the hospital wing right away, and Madam Pomfrey did a double take when she saw who had just entered the room. She was in her office as there was no one to take care of yet, being the first day of school, and saw Harry walk in through the window which looked out into the waiting area.

Coming out of the office, Madam Pomfrey crossed the room and directed Harry where to bring Hadley so she could examine the amused girl. Harry explained what had happened, preparing himself for a lecture, but none came. Madam Pomfrey simply listened to what he'd had to say and then went to work.

Harry supposed he shouldn't have been surprised, seeing as how he was no longer a student. He was still getting used to being treated differently by the people who were now his co-workers.

Less than ten minutes had passed, during which time Madam Pomfrey managed to get Hadley to swallow a small vile of blue liquid, and the girl had immediately settled back down to the floor. As the seconds ticked on, her giddy manner began to tone down as well, until the effects of the Billywig stinging had completely worn off.

Harry thanked Madam Pomfrey, who graciously suggested that it might be a good idea for locks to be placed on any containers he didn't want opened in class from now on. He nodded with a somewhat sheepish grin, before turning and gesturing Hadley to follow, back through the halls towards the classroom.

"Are you going to take points from Slytherin?" Hadley asked immediately when they were back in the corridors.

Harry glanced down at the petite girl. She'd been utterly silent for the past few minutes, having kept her eyes on the floor ever since the antidote had taken effect. He could now see the look of shame on her face as she looked up at him earnestly.

"Why did you open the box, Hadley?" Harry asked gently.

"I…don't know…" she stammered quietly, averting her eyes, then looking up again quickly. "But you never said we couldn't…"

Harry had to stifle a small laugh at her comment.

"That's true, I never said you couldn't," he admitted. "But didn't you think I had the Billywigs in the boxes for a reason?"

"Well I didn't mean for that to happen," Hadley said, quietly, a slight edge to her tone. It was obvious she wanted to argue, but knew she could already be in a lot of trouble as it stood, and didn't quite want to push it.

"I'm sure you didn't," Harry said with a nod, not quite sure he believed himself. "But I still would like to know why you did it. Since you were so bored with the creatures we were studying, and seemed to know what they were before we got far into the lesson…did you know what would happen if one stung you?"

"No," Hadley replied shaking her head slightly. Harry raised one eyebrow faintly, looking down at the girl who had her eyes firmly planted on the floor. She'd answered too quickly, she'd known exactly what would happen, but Harry also had a strong feeling that she was embarrassed by her actions. Why, then, would she have done it?

"No," Harry said after a few moments of silence. "I'm not going to take points from Slytherin…this time. If you say you didn't know what would happen, I believe you, but from now on you will check with me on whether or not it's okay to touch any of the creatures we will be studying in class. If this happens again, however, it will mean a loss of points and detention.

"Alright," Hadley nodded, relieved at what she'd just heard. Harry met her gaze briefly, hoping he'd made the right decision this time, but not having much time to think on it, as they'd reached the classroom at last. He waited until Hadley had entered the room before following her through, and heading back towards the front of the class.

The rest of the lesson ran surprisingly smooth, no one daring to touch the top of the box after what they'd just witnessed. Hadley behaved herself, keeping her hands to herself and barely speaking for the remainder of the class.

Harry's second class of the day was with the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff first-years, and before they'd arrived Harry quickly put a locking charm over each of the boxes, not wanting a repeat of the first class.

When the morning was at last over, Harry was grateful for the break. He didn't have any more classes that day, being one of his half-days, and he went back to his office to go through his lesson plans for the following day. He got so caught up in his work, that he didn't even realize it was dinnertime until he heard his stomach rumbling. Having skipped lunch earlier, Harry felt nearly ravenous by now, and left his office at once, starting for the great hall.

Just as he reached the double doors, however, he heard a most unwelcome voice from nearby.

"Had a rough time with your first class today, did you?" Troy asked snidely, walking slowly up to the door, a smug smirk on his face.

"How would you know anything about my lessons today?" Harry asked flatly.

"Well the girl you nearly got killed is in Slytherin, and if you take a student to the hospital wing Poppy must inform the head of house for that child what happened.

"And Snape told you what happened?" Harry asked, taken aback. He knew it shouldn't be surprising that Snape would jump at the chance to make him look bad…but he still hadn't expected him to run to Troy with the information.

"No, I did not," came the reply from a dark voice just behind Harry. He didn't need to turn around to know it was Snape. "Professor Ryan happened to be in my office when Madam Pomfrey came to tell me about your stupid blunder this morning."

"My blunder?" Harry repeated, feeling his face get start to get hot. He was not going to let Snape lecture him here and now, not like this. If he wanted to talk, he could at least attempt to handle it professionally, instead of causing a scene just to embarrass Harry.

"Yes, your blunder," Snape spat. "What were you thinking handing out unlocked boxes of Billywigs to all your first-year students? The least you could have done was have a vile or two of the antidote on hand…"

"I didn't think that…" Harry began.

"No, you didn't think," Snape cut him off sharply. "Not at all. I told Albus this was a bad idea from the start."

Harry glared darkly at the potions master. He was angry and humiliated by Snape's words, but in part because he was right. Harry should have had the foresight to lock the boxes; to have the antidote on hand…he just hadn't thought there would be a problem. Forcing a calm expression to his face, Harry looked up directly into the potion master's gaze.

"Professor Snape, if you truly want to have this discussion, we can continue it elsewhere. I don't believe this is the time or place to be handling a disagreement."

"No we have nothing to discuss, Potter," Snape spoke hastily, looking suddenly annoyed with the conversation. He straightened up stiffly, and started forward, striding past Harry and pushing the doors open.

"I'm sure Minerva will be thrilled to hear about the great job you're doing," Troy said, still grinning mischievously at Harry, before turning and following Snape into the great hall. Harry watched them disappear behind the doors, taking a deep breath. He hadn't had the best first day, but he'd handled the situation and everyone had come out alright. He would just have to be more careful from now on…he would have to be more prepared.

Sighing inaudibly and shaking the thoughts from his head for the time being, Harry pushed open the doors and started up towards the head table.

As he neared the table, Harry spotted Snape in Troy's seat beside McGonagall, speaking to her quietly. Feeling he had a very good idea what Snape was telling the headmistress, Harry tried to ignore the mixture of anger and anxiety in his gut as he came around to his own seat beside Hagrid.

"Firs' less'n go well?" Hagrid asked pleasantly as Harry settled down into the chair.

"Not exactly," Harry replied dismally, trying to listen in on what Snape was saying, but unable to hear the whispering over all the chatter in the hall.

"You had firs' years t'day, didn' ya?" Hagrid asked.

"Yes, that's right," Harry replied with a nod.

"An tha' Slytherin girl…'adley Therns…she 'cause any trouble?"

Harry looked up at Hagrid, raising one eyebrow curiously.

"Did someone tell you…?" he started.

"She's getting' inta trouble everywhere t'day it seems," Hagrid explained quickly.

"Really?" Harry asked, sitting forward in his chair, his still untouched dinner in front of him. "What has she done?"

"I 'aven't had 'er in my class yet," Hagrid began. "But I 'eard from a few 'o the other profes'rs that she's a bit outspoken."

"Just a bit, yes," Harry laughed lightly. "But it's nice to know I'm not the only one she acted up on. Though I probably am the only one who ended up bringing her to the hospital wing…" he added dropping his gaze.

"What 'appen'd?"

Harry shook his head, still feeling disgusted with himself for not preventing the situation before it had happened, and explained quietly to Hagrid what had gone on during class.

"Oh tha's nothing teh worry abou'!" Hagrid laughed when Harry finished. "Sounds teh me like you took care've everything jes fine."

"But it shouldn't have happened at all," Harry insisted stubbornly.

"Yeh can't get yerself upset o'er summat as small as tha'," Hagrid said, still grinning. "I've had worse 'appen in some 'o my classes…"

"Well, that wasn't your fault, really," Harry said, remembering very well how Hagrid's first lesson had gone. "If Malfoy had paid any attention to what you'd said, everything would have been fine. But for my class, I never told them not to open their boxes…"

"An I'll bet yeh ne'er told them they could, didja?"

"No, but…" Harry began, when another voice spoke up from behind him.

"Harry, I would like to speak to you in my office after dinner," Minerva said evenly as Harry turned to face her.

"Is this about…" he began quietly.

"After dinner, Harry," she cut him off simply, then went back to her meal. Harry nodded faintly, glancing past her to where Snape sat, a smug expression on his face.

"Please have a seat, Harry," McGonagall said, crossing the room as Harry entered the office behind her. He moved silently to one of the chairs facing the desk while Minerva lowered herself into the one across from him.

Taking a deep breath, Harry glanced around the office that used to be Dumbledore's, thinking how strange it looked with all of the decorations he was used to seeing there. But he couldn't concentrate much on that now, he very much wanted to find out what McGonagall had asked him here to talk about, having a strong sense of foreboding that he was in trouble for what had happened in his class today, but he decided to wait and let her speak first. It wasn't a long wait.

"Madam Pomfrey has informed me you had to bring a student to the hospital wing this morning," the headmistress stated evenly. "Hadley Thurnes, correct?"

"Yes that's right," Harry nodded, trying to sound less like a schoolboy and more like he thought a professor should. But he couldn't help the worry he was feeling, having no idea what exactly Snape had been telling the headmistress at dinner.

"Please, if you would, tell me what happened during the class which led to Miss Thurnes needing to visit the hospital wing."

Harry nodded, and for the third time that day, explained exactly what had happened during his first lesson as a professor at Hogwarts. When he'd finished, he sat there, waiting to be told off for his lack of foresight, and endangering his students…

"You made sure the boxes were locked for your next class of first years, I trust?" McGonagall asked lightly.

"Yes, absolutely," Harry nodded.

"Very good," McGonagall nodded faintly, a small grin on her face. "Thank you Harry, that will be all."

Harry sat there for a few seconds, before the words he'd just heard slowly sank in.

"So…then…I'm not in trouble?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

"In trouble?" Minerva repeated, "Why would you be in trouble? I understand that as a new professor with no prior experience there will be mistakes made. From what I've been told today, you handled the situation quickly, no students were seriously injured, and you learned from the experience by making sure the same thing could not happen in the following class. Well done Potter."

Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him, while still feeling somewhat confused, but he smiled at the headmistress gratefully.

"Thank you," he said with a faint nod. "I thought…well…I guess…" he stammered, not sure what he wanted to say. "When you asked to see me, and didn't want to talk at dinner, I assumed you were angry with me," he managed to get out at last.

"Yes, well, to be perfectly honest I didn't want to discuss it at dinner any further," McGonagall said stiffly. "I spoke with Severus on the matter long enough, and felt it would be better if I spoke to you in private."

"I figured that's what he was talking to you about," Harry nodded, hearing the frustration in his own voice.

"Don't let him bother you, Harry," McGonagall said quickly, noting the tone in his voice as well. "He's never gotten on well with anyone who's had your position in this school, and there's nothing any of us can do to change that. I will always listen to both sides of any story before any decisions are made, I promise you that."

"I know you will," Harry nodded, grinning again. "Thank you Minerva."

"Good night, Harry," she replied gently.

As he made his way back down to his quarters, Harry felt considerably relieved. He felt silly for getting himself worried in the first place, actually, thinking he should have known that Minerva would never have just taken Snape's word on the matter and be done with it. Though he would have liked to know what exactly the potions master had said, as he looked quite pleased with himself when McGonagall had asked to see Harry after dinner. He wondered if Snape would try to get him in trouble this year, and couldn't help but feel this was quite probable.

Deciding there was no point in worrying about it, Harry shook the thoughts from his head for the time being. What he wanted to know right now, was why Hadley had acted the way she did in class. Even though he hadn't spoken to her much, he got the impression she wasn't unintelligent at all, but for some reason she was acting contrary to that notion.

As he passed the door to his office he decided to stop quickly, and grabbed Hadley's file from his drawer, before continuing on to his quarters. He wanted to have a closer look at it tonight.

"And? What did it say?" Hermione Granger asked, somewhat impatiently.

Harry shook his head and shrugged. It was late Saturday morning, and he was sitting in his office telling his good friend about all that had happened over the last two days. As classes had begun on a Thursday, Harry had the much-appreciated break of the weekend before he'd have to continue with the 'first lessons.' He'd gotten through the first, third and fifth years, and still had eight classes left until he'd meet all of his students for the year.

"It wasn't helpful, I can tell you that," he replied glumly. He'd just finished telling of his discussion with McGonagall two nights ago, and how he'd wanted a closer look at Hadley's file. "There was basic information about her, when she was born, where she lives…"

"That's it?" Hermione asked, seeming disappointed.

"Unfortunately yes," Harry nodded. "But that's what's supposed to be in those files…I don't know what I was expecting, really…"

"You're right," Hermione sighed, sitting back against the couch as the summer sun filtered lazily in through the window. She'd decided to drop in for a surprise visit, as she too had off from classes for the weekends. Ron couldn't make it, however, as for him it was exactly the opposite. Quidditch practice was held when the coach said it was held, and that's exactly where he was right now. "Can you tell me anything that it said though?" she pressed curiously. "I'm not asking for her home address or any private information, but maybe there's something that…"

"Only you, Hermione," Harry laughed, sitting forward, leaning his elbows against his knees. There was less than three feet between them on the couch, and they sat partially facing one another in the cool office. "Alright…what I can tell you, is that she's traveled a lot with her family for many years now…and that neither her parents nor her grandparents attended Hogwarts…it may go back further than that, I'm not sure…"

"It doesn't say where they went though?" Hermione asked.

"It's not a file on her parents, Hermione," Harry laughed. "I'm not quite sure why the information is even in there, really."

"Probably because it might explain certain behavior on her part," Hermione replied quickly. "The way a child is brought up can have a large effect on their attitude towards so many things. Lots of traveling isn't always good."

Harry sat for a moment, considering what she'd said before replying.

"I suppose you're right…but still…Hadley's smart, Hermione. Don't ask me how I know, because she certainly wasn't displaying any intelligent behavior the other day, but she is. What I don't understand is why she's hiding it…in all of her classes, apparently."

"Well, it's obvious we need to know more about her, and the answers aren't in her file," Hermione said softly. "Maybe you could ask McGonagall…?"

"I just don't know," Harry said, shaking his head faintly. "I don't even know why I'm so concerned about this to begin with…"

"I think I do," Hermione spoke up quickly, drawing Harry's gaze to meet hers. "It's because Thurston wanted her file, and you want to know what he wanted it for."

"Maybe I should just go ask him…think that will work?" Harry asked jokingly.

"Oh and I'm sure he'll be all too willing to give you any information you ask for," Hermione replied with a smirk. Harry just laughed lightly, before pushing himself forward and standing.

"C'mon," he said, turning around and extending a hand to help her up. "I'm tired of sitting in here when it's so nice out. Let's go for walk…and maybe talk about something else for a while…"

The two friends moved through the corridors they both knew so well until they'd reached the front entrance to the school, and stepped out into the warm, summery air. Harry was listening as they moved slowly along the grounds towards the lake, while Hermione went on animatedly about her classes at the university she was attending.

"Sounds like you're taking a lot of history classes there," he commented when she'd paused to take a breath.

"Well there's just so much to learn!" Hermione gushed, smiling. "I mean, while still at Hogwarts we learned so much from Professor Binns in our history of magic lessons…"

"You learned so much," Harry interrupted with a wry grin. "The rest of us caught up on our sleep."

"Yes, I remember," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes playfully. "But what I was saying is that even with all we learned in that class, after seven years of it, it's like we barely scratched the surface…"

"Well I guess there's no question as to which subject is your favorite then," Harry said with a grin.

"Oh I don't know about that," Hermione replied, smirking. "I've only just begun, after all…"

"Hey you two!" a familiar voice from behind called out to them. Harry and Hermione turned to see Ginny Weasley trotting down the hill.

"Ginny," Hermione smiled happily as the younger girl finally reached them.

"Good to see you Hermione," Ginny smiled as the two hugged quickly.

"Good to see you as well," Hermione replied. "How're classes going?"

"Great so far," Ginny shrugged with a smirk. "I haven't had a class with Harry yet, though…" she laughed, when suddenly her expression went stiff. She clapped a hand over her mouth and looked towards Harry wide-eyed. "Um…am I still allowed to call you that?" she asked uncertainly.

Harry tried his best to stifle a laugh, but couldn't help himself…she just looked so serious.

"Of course you're allowed to call me Harry!" he exclaimed lightly. "The only time I don't want you to is during class…I wouldn't care really, except your class is with the Slytherins, and I don't want them to go run off and complain that I'm playing favorites or anything…"

"Like their head of house does," Hermione added quickly.

"Exactly why I don't want to do it," Harry said, before turning to look back at Ginny. "So, just out for a walk? Or are you heading somewhere…?"

"Actually, I'm meeting the rest of the team in a few minutes," Ginny replied. "We have to get started right away…we need a new captain, a seeker, a keeper, a chaser…there's just a lot that needs to be done before we can even begin normal practice sessions."

Harry felt a pang of sadness, knowing he would never play for the Gryffindor quidditch team again. During his last year as seeker, he'd only played one full game, but it was better than nothing. He fought back the urge to start giving Ginny suggestions on what should be done at the meeting, if they wanted his help they would ask for it, and he didn't want to make it seem as if he were trying to control the team still.

"I'm glad to hear you're getting an early start," he said at last, putting on a large smile as he did so. "If you don't mind, I'd love to watch the try-outs when you hold them…I promise not to interfere…" he added hastily.

"Would you?" Ginny asked, sounding as if this is exactly what she'd been hoping he'd say. "I'd love it if you'd come! And if you don't mind," she continued pointedly, "we might just be asking your opinion during the sessions."

"I wouldn't mind that at all," Harry smiled.

"Alright, enough with the quidditch talk you two," Hermione cut in with a faint smirk. "I'm only here for a little while, and you've got all year to talk about your little game…"

"Little game?" Harry repeated, pretending to be appalled at how casually she'd brushed off his favorite sport, but he put up his hands defensively as she threw him a warning look.

"Alright, well I'll let you two alone then," Ginny laughed, watching the exchange between the two friends. "I should get going anyway, the others are waiting for me."

"See you later Ginny," Harry said with a friendly nod.

"Good-bye Ginny," Hermione said with a smile. They watched her go for a brief moment; her red curls which hung loosely down to the middle of her back bouncing softly behind her as she walked.

"So," Harry spoke up after another moment, "did Ron end up going to the ceremony for Dumbledore on Wednesday?"

"Yes, he went there with the rest of his family," Hermione nodded, as they began to walk slowly back towards the school. Quite a few students were out and about now; as the day was just so lovely no one really wanted to be inside.

"I'm glad," Harry nodded. "I would have loved to have been there…I wanted to…"

"I wanted to as well," Hermione said softly. "I know Dumbledore understands completely why we couldn't be there though."

"Well, just the same," Harry persisted. "I wanted to congratulate him for it. He really deserves this Hermione, and he'll do the job better than any minister before him. I know it."

"Why don't you just go see him then?" Hermione asked.

"Don't you think he'll be too busy?" Harry asked, uncertainly. He had considered taking a day trip to the ministry building while he didn't have to worry about classes for the weekends, but he definitely didn't want to do anything that would interrupt the new head minister.

"Well I don't doubt he'll be busy," Hermione replied with a grin. "He must be, but I don't think he'd mind a small visit, do you? We can just pop in for a moment…and if he's in the middle of something…we leave."

"What, you mean right now?" Harry asked.

"I'm not doing anything," Hermione said, slowing down and coming to a stop as Harry did the same. "Do you have the time?"  
"Well…alright," Harry said after a moment of considering, a small smile touching his lips. "I guess a quick visit won't hurt."

"Great," Hermione grinned, taking Harry by the arm and leading him back towards the school quickly. "Let's go then. We can fly to Hogsmeade and use the floo network to travel to the ministry building from there."

Once Harry had retrieved his Moontrimmer from his quarters and grabbed his money sack, attaching it to his belt loop, the two went back outside quickly. Harry mounted the broom and held it steady so Hermione could get on behind him. When he felt her arms around his waist he kicked off, and together they sped towards the nearby village of Hogsmeade.

When they arrived, Hermione led the way to the nearest floo station amidst the many shops and stores. Harry was glad they had a side area where you could leave your broom, as he didn't want to bring it into the ministry building with him. He paid the attendant at the desk three Knuts to keep watch on the broom, before he and Hermione crossed the station to the nearest grate. Harry paid the attendant there as well, and only moments later, the two friends were stepping out into the lobby of the ministry building.

"I guess we should ask the receptionist…" Hermione began.

"I know where his office is," Harry interrupted softly. "We can just head up, and if he's busy we'll turn around, rather than have someone call ahead and disturb him."

"Alright," Hermione nodded, looking the slightest bit uncertain. "Lead the way."

Harry started across the atrium to where the wizarding elevators stood against the far wall. He kept Hermione close by, as there was a rather large crowd surrounding them, moving every which way at once, but they reached the other side soon enough.

"After you," Harry said, stepping aside to allow Hermione to enter the grate and then following her in. The orange numbers appeared in mid-air and Harry swiped through the number six, before feeling the ground vanish from beneath him. It lasted only half a second, just as it had last time, and the two friends stepped out into the hallway of the sixth floor.

"It's just over here," Harry whispered, gesturing Hermione to follow as he started off to his left.

"Excuse me, but do either of you have an appointment with the head minister?" an unexpected voice suddenly spoke from behind them. Harry and Hermione spun around immediately, to find Mr. Thurston striding up the hall towards them. As soon as the thin man saw who he was speaking to, however, he stopped suddenly. Harry noticed the briefest look of disdain cross the man's sharp features, before he forced a bony smile to his lips.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger," he began, his tone exuding graciousness and hospitality. "I shall let Albus know you're here at once."

Harry felt his jaw drop as the tall man passed him in the hall, heading for the office just beyond. He exchanged an utterly shocked and confused expression with Hermione, before they started after him puzzled by the man's bizarre change in attitude.

Thurston had pushed the door open now, without having bothered to knock and took a few steps into the office. Harry and Hermione stepped tentatively in behind him, stopping when the older man came to a halt, and noticing someone else in the room with them.

A young man, who looked to be about in his mid-twenties was examining a small, flat, dark object in his hands, standing just beside the large, mahogany desk. He had sandy blonde hair, fair skin, and the most curious expression in his chocolate brown eyes as he inspected the item in his grasp.

"Mr. Venable," Thurston's sharp tone sliced through the air, startling the younger man into nearly dropping the item. He looked up reluctantly, placing the object onto the desk with a soft tap as Thurston rushed on in haste. "What have I told you about keeping your hands off of what isn't yours? These are not your things, you can't…"

"Thank you Marshall, that will be all," an authoritative voice interrupted. Harry and Hermione looked to their right, to find Dumbledore staring pointedly at the thin, gray-haired minister. Thurston's expression softened somewhat hesitantly, and after a brief pause, he bowed his head faintly.

"Of course, Albus," he said evenly. "I was only looking out for what is yours."

"And I thank you for that, Marshall. Now, if there is…"

"I didn't mean to disturb you," Thurston continued quickly, interrupting the head minister. "But you have guests…I wanted to make sure they were shown in properly."

"Thank you again, Marshall," Dumbledore nodded as his gaze flickered over Harry and Hermione, a small grin crossing his face.

"I shall be in my office if you require anything further, head minister," Thurston said softly, stepping back several paces before turning and exiting the room. Harry exchanged a suspicious glance with Hermione as the tall man passed between them, before turning and facing their former headmaster.


	4. Chapter 4

"Did…was he hexed by someone recently?" Harry asked skeptically, gesturing towards the door that Thurston had just exited through as he and Hermione crossed the office to where Dumbledore stood. "Because I can't recall ever being treated so…nicely…by him before."

"Yes it is a new experience for me as well," Dumbledore nodded with a wry grin as his two former students came to a stop before him.

"I wonder what he wants," Hermione mused softly, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she stood with her hands crossed over her chest, tapping one finger slowly against her elbow. "He must be after something…"

"Without a doubt," Harry added, nodding. "But he must know we'd recognize how differently he's acting…he can't honestly think we'd fall for…"

"He wasn't acting any differently towards me," the sandy-haired man spoke up suddenly, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor.

Harry and Hermione glanced at the man, and back to the head minister questioningly.

"Oh, I apologize," Dumbledore said immediately, stepping between the two friends and crossing to where the young man still stood beside the large desk. "Harry, Hermione, this is Travis Venable. Travis, this is Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger."

"Nice to meet you both," Travis nodded faintly, not looking up as he spoke.

"Travis is my temporary assistant," Dumbledore explained briefly as he glanced at the young man beside him. He noticed Travis was looking at the object he'd been examining when Thurston had interrupted him earlier. "Ah, I left this out before," the former headmaster said, gently retrieving the small item and tucking it away in his robes before continuing. "Did you finish going through those drawers, Travis?"

"Oh, no sir, but I'm almost done," Travis replied with a sudden sense of urgency as he turned abruptly and started for the back wall of the office. Beneath the window, there were three rows of four drawers, all built into the wall. How deep they ran was anyone's guess from what Harry could see. He watched for a moment as Travis knelt down in front of the far right row and opened the second drawer before starting to rummage through it.

"So then," Dumbledore spoke up again, directing his full attention to his former students. "What brings you two here today?"

"Well…we wanted to visit you," Hermione began, "since neither of us was able to attend the ceremony when you were sworn in…we just wanted to stop by…"

"To say congratulations," Harry added with a smile.

"And to see if there was anything you needed," Hermione finished, Harry nodding in agreement beside her.

"Well that was very thoughtful of you both, and I thank you," Dumbledore replied, smiling down at them. "And I'm quite alright at this time, I don't think I'll need either of you to do anything for me."

"Just be sure to let us know if you ever do," Harry said warmly.

"And how are you both doing?" the head minister asked with a grin. "How are the classes going?"

"Wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed at the exact same moment that Harry said "Great." The two friends looked at each other, laughing softly, before each telling their former headmaster a little about how things were going for them. Harry decided not to bring up Hadley Thurnes to Dumbledore just yet, feeling the newly appointed head minister must have many things on his mind right now, and he didn't want to burden him with another issue at this point in time.

"Well," Hermione said finally after a few more moments of friendly chatting, "we probably shouldn't bother you much longer…I'm sure we've taken up enough of your time as it is…"

"You are not a bother to me in the least," Dumbledore said warmly, his eyes twinkling, he glanced briefly towards the back of the office, to see Travis still sorting out the contents of the drawer he'd been working on, before turning back to Harry and Hermione.

"Have you known him long?" Harry asked quietly, nodding towards Travis. He realized that the head minister had been keeping a close eye on his assistant throughout their entire visit.

Dumbledore didn't fail to notice the slightly suspicious edge in Harry's tone, but smiled gently and nodded.

"Don't worry Mr. Potter," he said with a small laugh. "I've known Travis since he was very young."

"I'm sorry," Harry said quickly, "it just seemed like you were watching him so closely…"

"Yes, I was indeed," Dumbledore replied with a small laugh. "My nephew tends to be overly curious when he's in the wizarding world."

"Your nephew?" Harry and Hermione repeated in unison, their eyes wide as they glanced back towards the young man who was all but oblivious to their conversation about him.

"Well, my great-great-great-great nephew by marriage," Dumbledore said quickly, taking a breath before going on, "but that takes too long to say every time I want to introduce him."

"So…you asked him to come work for you then?" Harry asked, uncertainly, but barely finished speaking before Hermione piped up.

"How long has he been here? What did you mean by overcurious…Thurston yelled at him for touching…something. He didn't seem to care for Travis, much," she paused for a breath, before going on in an off-handed manner. "Not that that means anything…he doesn't like a lot of people. But why would he be acting nice to us and not Travis?"

"Let's move into the next room," Dumbledore said quietly, glancing briefly at the young man sorting through the drawers before gesturing for Harry and Hermione to follow him. They crossed through a large doorway on the right side of the office into an adjoining room, this one resembling more of a lounge. There was a long, plush, pristine white divan and several matching, comfortable looking chairs encircling a low glass table in the middle of the room. The hard wood floor was now covered with a deep, luxurious blue carpet. Several jet black book shelves, which were entirely empty, were scattered about against the pearly walls, with the exception of the far left wall, where there was an enormous window looking out onto the town below.

On the wall directly across from them, there was an elegant mantle of pure white marble, and on the right side of the room, there was another doorway cracked open slightly, where Harry could barely make out what looked to be a small kitchenette area.

"This is beautiful…" Hermione breathed, glancing around with wide eyes.

"Yes, Cornelius certainly loved this room," Dumbledore said with a grin, "he spent more of his time at work in here, I believe, than in his office."

"I would too," Hermione replied nodding earnestly.

"Yes but I think Albus meant Mr. Fudge wouldn't get as much work done," Harry said, smiling.

"Oh…well I wouldn't do that, I'd bring the work with me," Hermione replied matter-of-factly.

"I believe you would, Hermione," Dumbledore stated with a small chuckle. "However Cornelius had other forms of entertainment in here. The shelves were once filled with puzzles and riddles, books and models, things he used to love to work on, and keep himself occupied for hours."

"Good to know he was hard at work for the benefit of the wizarding world," Harry said sardonically, rolling his eyes.

"Well that time has passed now," Dumbledore said quickly. "His possessions were sent back to his family almost two years ago, and I have little use for this room at this time, except, of course, for entertaining guests. Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing towards the lavish couch.

"Now," Dumbledore began as he lowered himself into one of the large chairs, facing Harry and Hermione on the sofa. "I will tell you a little about my nephew, and you can be assured he is not a threat in any way. As I've said, I am only related to Travis through marriage, he is a muggle."

"You mean…a squib?" Harry asked quietly.

"No, a muggle," Dumbledore replied evenly. "His parents are both muggles, and they divorced just after he was born, he's never known his father. A few years later, his mother remarried, and Travis became my nephew. He and his mother were told about our world, of course, and were quite accepting of it, much to our relief."

"No wonder Thurston hates him," Hermione said quietly, shaking her head in disgust. "Are you sure it's alright that Travis is here?"

"Perfectly alright," Dumbledore nodded. "For the most part, the wizarding world is quite tolerant of muggles who are willing to accept us, with a few exceptions. A good example would be your own parents, Miss Granger. And as I said earlier, Travis is only here temporarily, so one can only hope he can't get himself into too much trouble in that time."

"Why is he only here temporarily?" Harry inquired.

"I only require his assistance until I have gone through all the papers and files in the office that were here before I came," Dumbledore explained, "I expect it should all be complete by the end of this year, January at the latest."

"Can I ask…why Travis?" Hermione spoke softly. "I'm not trying to imply that I don't think he could handle the task or anything…but wouldn't it be easier to just hire someone who's more accustomed to the wizarding world?"

"It most certainly would be," Dumbledore laughed, his eyes twinkling. "But Travis loves magic, he loves everything about our world. When he heard that I had accepted the position of head minister of magic, he asked if there were anything at all I might be able to find for him to do. I told him he could help me, if he wished, for a few months, and he immediately accepted…and proceeded to ask me when he'd be starting every day until September 1st," Dumbledore said, chuckling softly at the memory.

"Then…if you trust him so much…why were you keeping such a close eye on him out there?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Well, as I started to say earlier, my nephew is quite inquisitive when it comes to anything magical," Dumbledore replied gently. "He couldn't purposely cause harm if he were to come across a wand or an enchanted item…it would never respond to him as he is a muggle. However, some objects do not require a spell or charm to operate, and I do not wish for Travis to hurt himself. As there are many items hidden within this office that I am still in the process of finding…who knows what we'll stumble across…"

"Can't you just ask him not to fool around with anything?" Hermione asked.

"Yes I can, and I have," Dumbledore spoke lightly, "Though what you must understand, is that Travis has no intention whatsoever of causing any harm, but his curiosity and love for our world do get the better of him a great deal of the time. He doesn't even realize what he's doing until someone asks him to stop…" he trailed off, glancing towards the doorway and the silent office beyond.

"I think I've let him alone long enough," the head minister said after a moment. "You may stay in here if you like, but I'm going to go back into the office for a little while."

"Oh no we'll go with you," Hermione said quickly, as she and Harry stood up. Dumbledore nodded and started for the office, while Harry and Hermione exchanged a brief glance before starting to walk. Harry could see his friend was thinking the same thing as he was. Travis seemed like he would be causing more stress than helping out, which was exactly what Dumbledore didn't need right now. But the former headmaster had a big heart, and wanted his nephew to be happy. Harry could only hope that Dumbledore was right, and that Travis wouldn't get into too much trouble…

"How is it coming along Travis?" Dumbledore asked when the three had stepped into the office.

"I'm nearly finished, uncle," Travis replied brightly.

"Very good," Dumbledore smiled, watching his nephew for a moment more before starting towards his desk. He reached into his robes, drawing out the flat object that Travis had been examining when Harry and Hermione had first arrived, and placing it into the top drawer on the right side. He slid his wand out as well; whispering something so softly that Harry couldn't catch it, but he heard a clicking sound from the desk, and was sure it meant the drawer was now locked.

As the head minister straightened up and faced his two guests once more, he opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly there was an urgent knocking on the door.

No sooner had he called for the person to enter, then the door swung open, and a tall, dark haired woman stepped in tentatively. She glanced towards Harry and Hermione, before meeting the headmaster's gaze nervously.

"I'm t-terribly sorry to bother you Mr. D-D-Dumbledore, I know you have visitors," she breathed, stumbling over the words in her haste to get them out.

"Calm down Simone," Dumbledore said with a small chuckle, though something in his eyes told Harry the former headmaster knew something was wrong, and he gathered this wasn't normal behavior for the woman. "You aren't a bother at all."

Simone nodded faintly, before speaking again, her tone considerably softer, but the urgency in it still clear.

"Mr. Thurston wishes to speak with you, sir. He says it's imperative that you come now."

"Does he?" Dumbledore replied, his right eyebrow arching skeptically. "Very well then, tell him I shall be there shortly."

"Yes sir," Simone nodded, before turning quickly and hurrying towards the door, off to deliver her message.

"Thurston calls you down to his office instead of coming to see you himself?" Hermione asked as the door to the office was once again shut firmly.

"Yes, he does," Dumbledore replied, "Though I don't complain as his office is not far from mine, and I would rather he not be around Travis unless absolutely necessary."

"After seeing the way he looked at Travis earlier, I can believe that," Harry said quietly.

"Well you two, it seems I will have to cut this short," Dumbledore said with a grin. "Thank you both for coming, it was a most welcome break."

The three said their good-byes, and Dumbledore informed Travis he would be out of the office for a while, and not to touch anything he didn't recognize during that time, before starting up the hall.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Travis," Hermione said pleasantly as she and Harry were preparing to leave. "Maybe we'll see you again sometime."

"Oh it was nice meeting both of you too!" Travis said happily as he stood and crossed the room. Harry grinned as Travis stopped in front of him and held out his hand. He took it firmly and they shook, before the older man turned and did the same to Hermione. "Good-bye!" he said warmly after he'd finished.

Harry had to stifle a laugh at the man's child-like behavior, and noticed the highly amused expression on Hermione's face as well. They said their good-byes to Travis, watching as he made his way across the office and threw himself once more into the task that had been appointed to him, before turning and quietly exiting the room.

"Well that was certainly an interesting visit," Hermione said softly as the two friends arrived back in the Hogsmeade Floo Station.

"To say the least," Harry added with a nod, starting towards the desk across the room to retrieve his Moontrimmer.

"Hey wait, want to grab lunch while we're here?" Hermione asked quickly.

"Sure," Harry replied with a grin, realizing it had been a while since he'd been at Hogsmeade long enough to relax. "The Three Broomsticks?" he asked, already tasting the butterbeer.

"Alright," Hermione laughed lightly. She more than likely would have preferred one of the fancier restaurants along the crowded strip, but as she'd been allowed to Hogsmeade many more times than Harry had been during their years in school, she let him choose.

The two made their way out of the busy floo station and up the street past a number of shops, before reaching their destination.

"We have to find out what Thurston's up to," Harry said after they'd found seats near the back of the dimly lit restaurant. "Because there's no chance he'd just suddenly start acting nicely around all of us…"

"Oh I agree, completely," Hermione nodded, "but Dumbledore isn't blind…he can see Thurston's up to something."

"Well I want to know what it is," Harry said quietly, "because he's planning something. First his visits to the school all through the summer, then trying to steal Hadley's file, and now this sudden change in attitude…"

"All we can do right now is just wait and hope we can stop whatever it is," Hermione said softly. "Neither of us have access to the ministry, we can't just go searching…and don't even think it Harry Potter!" she said quickly, seeing Harry open his mouth to speak, his eyes lighting up. "The ministry is well protected against any unwanted guests, your invisibility cloak won't help you when they can track you anywhere in the building…"

Harry let out a frustrated sigh, sitting back as the waitress brought over their drinks. She asked for their orders briefly, before starting back towards the door to the kitchen. No sooner had the door swung shut behind her, then the food appeared before them on the table. Harry looked down at his plate, not having much of an appetite any more and glanced over at Hermione.

"I just don't want to sit around and do nothing when we know something's wrong," he said stubbornly. Hermione fixed him with an admonishing stare, before speaking in an even tone.

"Harry, Dumbledore is very powerful, and much smarter than either of us. He could certainly defeat Thurston in a battle of wits, if it ever came to that. Now I don't like the idea of doing nothing either, but right now it's all we can do. If either of us hears anything, we let the other know…I'll tell Ron as well, and you let Mel know. Between the four of us who knows what we might overhear."

"I don't doubt Dumbledore is able to take care of himself, Hermione," Harry said quietly. "I just feel that Thurston knows that too. He knows he can't win against Dumbledore, so he's going to try and go around that."

"Well, if Dumbledore finds anymore of Fudge's old trinkets we might not have to worry about this at all," Hermione said lightly.

"Anymore of Fudge's what?" Harry asked, his brow furrowing.

"The object that Travis had when we first went in," Hermione explained, "the one Dumbledore locked in the drawer…I can only assume it was left in the office from when Fudge was there, because I can't imagine the headmaster feeling the need to own one of those."

"And?" Harry asked, trying not to sound impatient. "Are you going to tell me what it is?"

Hermione glanced up from her plate with a small grin.

"You know, I realize as a student you hated to read anything that wasn't required, but as a teacher I really thought…"

"Hermione!" Harry interrupted, trying not to show his amusement through the exasperated expression he was putting forth. Hermione just gave him a knowing grin before speaking in a quiet tone.

"It's a vrid."

"Oh, right…a vrid, and what would that be, exactly?" Harry asked.

"A voice instrument recording device…but it's commonly referred to as a vrid."

"So, it's like a tape recorder then?" Harry asked.

"Sort of…and also not at all," Hermione said slowly.

"You have a knack for explaining things Hermione, you really do…" Harry said, rolling his eyes playfully.

"Well the point is that it can record voices, and that's most likely why Fudge had it," Hermione said, trying to look sternly at Harry for his remark, but failing. "I'm sure Dumbledore will find dozens of items like that, for listening to and recording conversations…and anything else that Fudge would feel necessary to own. He was so paranoid, after all…this was probably the only way he felt safe after a while…"

"So why didn't we learn about these in school then?" Harry asked.

"Probably because they're very rare, and very tricky. There would have been no way any of the instructors could have justified letting a student attempt using a vrid. It takes too much power and concentration to operate it correctly. I don't doubt that Fudge most likely would have a hard time working it. If it was ever used, he probably had someone else do it."

"Is it dangerous to use a vrid?" Harry asked, curiously.

"If you don't know how it can be…" Hermione replied, trailing off for a moment, before speaking again. "Though like I said, I'm sure Dumbledore will find these things, but he won't use them."

"I wonder…" Harry began.

"Your food is going to be cold, you know," Hermione cut him off suddenly. Harry glanced down at his plate and up again at her, one eyebrow arched quizzically. Before he could say a word however, Hermione leant forward, busying herself with rearranging the food in front of her and speaking again.

"You know, I haven't heard much about Sirius or Marzia lately…and I barely got to see them on your birthday…how are they doing?"

Harry looked at Hermione for a moment, but she wouldn't meet his gaze. She was deliberately changing the subject because she could read Harry just as easily as he could read her, and she had seen it in his eyes. He had been wondering if he might be able to use the vrid, to use it against Thurston in some way. While Dumbledore was surely powerful enough to use it on his own, Hermione had been right, he'd never see the need.

Seeing that Hermione was unwilling to consider the conversation, he gave in for the time being, and started to tell about Sirius and Marzia, but he couldn't get his mind off the vrid. The more he thought about it, he realized Hermione had barely told him anything. There would have to be more to it than just recording a voice, if it was really that hard to use, wouldn't there?

"Any luck for Sirius in getting a job yet?" Hermione's voice broke through his thoughts once more.

"He's leery about going to work for the ministry…even with Dumbledore as head minister," Harry replied. "I understand why, though, I'd probably be the same way. Right now he's just waiting to see how things go…he said after the holidays he'd make a decision one way or the other."

"Well I hope that works out for him then," Hermione smiled, before continuing, her tone a bit more excited. "And what about a date…have they set one yet?"

"No, but I know they don't want to wait long," Harry said with a smile, thinking of how happy his godfather seemed around Marzia, and how much they loved each other.

"Who would?" Hermione said earnestly. "I mean…they've already been waiting over seventeen years…"

"I know," Harry said, feeling the familiar dull anger that always accompanied thoughts of what had been done to his godfather, how unjustly he'd been treated. Seeing his expression falter, Hermione quickly changed the subject yet again.

"What about Mel, how is she doing?"

"Better than I would expect, actually," Harry replied. "She misses Jack very much though. I wish so badly that I could help her find him…no matter what state he's in by now."

"You think he's…?"

"He must be," Harry said, shaking his head faintly and dropping his gaze to the table. Hermione didn't reply this time, at a loss for what to say. "I'm sorry," Harry spoke up, letting a small grin cross his face. "I sure know how to keep the mood bright, don't I?"

"Well, I asked…" Hermione said hastily.

"And I answered," Harry nodded. "But it is getting late, and I want to go thru the lesson plans for Monday…hopefully make a better start than I did last week."

"You will," Hermione said confidently, smiling reassuringly at him as the two stood to leave. "It'll go smoothly, I know it."

"Oh and you're psychic now, are you?" Harry asked jokingly as they stepped out onto the still crowded street. "I thought you didn't like divination?"

"No, I didn't like Professor Trelawny," Hermione laughed, "but I find the subject fascinating. I just don't think you can learn it…you're either born with that talent, or you're not."

"I agree," Harry nodded as they made their way back to the floo station. He went to the desk and got his Moontrimmer, before turning to Hermione once more.

"I can just head back from here," she said before he could begin to speak. "That way you can just head back and start on your work right away."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. "I don't mind, you know."

"I'm sure," Hermione nodded. They started towards the nearest floo grate, and Harry insisted on paying the fee, before watching as she carefully stepped inside.

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Hermione said urgently, poking her head back out, "Don't make any plans for Halloween night, okay?"

"What's going on Halloween night?" Harry asked, a curious smile on his face.

"You and Mel are coming over to see our apartment," she replied with a broad grin, which Harry returned.

"Got it," he winked. "No plans for Halloween night."

"Good," she replied with a nod. She waved good-bye once more before being whisked away through the floo network. Harry waited until she was gone, before heading back outside into the late afternoon air, and mounting his broom, kicking off for the short journey back to Hogwarts.

The following morning, as he was finishing breakfast, Harry decided to head down to the library, and see if he could find anything that would explain how a vrid worked. He knew Hermione wouldn't approve, only he couldn't help it. They'd probably never need to know how to use it anyway, but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Only seconds after he'd stepped into the corridor and began the walk, he heard the door to the great hall swing open heavily behind him, and light footsteps starting after him. Turning around, Harry smiled to find Ginny coming towards him.

"Hey, you busy?" Ginny asked warmly as she came up next to Harry.

"Just heading to the library," he replied, gesturing down the hall behind him. "Want to come…as fun and exciting as that must sound…" he joked.

"Sure," Ginny laughed as the two began walking.

"Alright so tell me," Harry began eagerly. "How did the meeting go?"

"Great! We're going to hold tryouts this weekend. Right now it's just Su, Natalie, Ray and I…so we need to find another beater, a keeper and a seeker."

"That's a lot of work," Harry said, knowingly. He remembered back to when he and Ron had been the only team members left, and had to find three chasers and two beaters. It seemed as though the tryouts would never end.

"Yes, we were realizing that during the meeting. We've got it all planned out so there are separate trials for each open position, and we'll hold them Friday night and all day Saturday, that way we have Sunday open to go through everything and make a decision."

"Good idea," Harry nodded, before continuing on quickly. "Now, have you and the other members discussed who's to be team captain?"

Ginny's gaze dropped to the floor and a deep blush rose in her cheeks. Harry could see, despite her attempts to hide her face, a tiny smile on her lips.

"So, how does it feel to be captain of the quidditch team?" he asked, beaming proudly at her.

"You tell me," she replied with a grin as she brought her eyes back up to meet his. "It feels wonderful…and terrifying. What if I mess up? What if I choose bad plays? What if I…?"

"Ginny stop," Harry laughed, cutting her off abruptly. "I know exactly what you're feeling, and believe me when I say that it will never end. You're going to question yourself; every time you make a decision, you'll wonder if it's the right one. Just know that the other members picked you for a reason…if I was one of them I'd have made the same choice. You've really learned a lot about this sport over the last two years. You're a fantastic chaser and you play fair. No matter what happens just remember that."

"Thanks," Ginny said, smiling softly as they reached the entrance to the library. Harry pushed the door open and held it, allowing Ginny to step in first, before following her through into the silent room. They made their way over to the desk where Madam Pince sat, a stern grimace on her face as she looked out over the few students seated at various tables. As it was the beginning of the year, not many people were here studying just yet.

As he stepped up to the desk, Harry had to remind himself he was no longer a student, Madam Pince didn't need a pass from him, yet still he had to clear his throat several times before he was sure his voice would come out.

"Ah, professor," Pince said briskly as she noticed Harry standing before her. "What can I do for you?"

"Well…er…I'm not exactly sure how to find this…" he began, uncertainly. "I need to look at a book that will explain the functions of a…a recording…um…a voice…" he stammered, not remembering the full name and finally giving up, "well I think for short it's called a vrid," he said quickly.

Madam Pince's amused expression faltered immediately, and her eyes flittered to Harry's left where Ginny stood silently, before meeting his gaze once more.

"And what exactly would you need that for, professor?" she asked, cagily.

Harry understood at once and shook his head with a small grin as he spoke.

"It's for me, Madam Pince," he said quickly. "Don't worry I'm not about to go teaching about vrids in class."

She gave him a piercing stare, but nodded stiffly.

"Wait here."

Harry nodded as Madam Pince pushed her chair away from her desk and stood, heading for the restricted section.

"What's a vrid?" Ginny whispered, throwing a glance towards the shelves the librarian had disappeared behind.

"That's exactly what I hope to find out," Harry replied quietly.

"Harry, you've been reading for over an hour…are you ever gonna tell me what this thing is?" Ginny's voice broke through Harry's thoughts. He looked up quickly, loosening his grip on the book in his hands. The two of them had gone outside after they'd left the library, and were sitting on the remains of an old stone wall a short distance from the school entrance. It was not as sunny out as it'd been the previous day, but it was still warm and there was a nice breeze flitting through their hair as they sat side by side, students mulling about the grounds around them.

"I'm not really supposed to, you know…" Harry said teasingly as he met Ginny's curious gaze. Her expression fell at his words though, and she gave him a look of mock rejection.

"Sure, I see how it is…now that you're a professor and I'm just a lowly student you don't want to…"

"Ginny, shut up," Harry laughed as she whined. "I'll tell you alright? You knew I was going to anyway…"

"Yeah, I did," Ginny replied, putting on an innocent grin.

Harry simply shook his head and sighed, before setting the book down and pushing himself further back on the rock, to face her.

"Okay, a vrid. To put it simply, it's a recording device that is controlled by whomever is holding it. You can record everything you hear, or just one sound. If you see someone talking but you can't hear them yourself, the vrid can, and is able to record them if you want it to."

"Alright," Ginny shrugged. "So why are you reading about it?"

"I'm not finished yet," Harry said quickly before continuing his explanation. "It has another power. You can steal someone's voice, entirely. They won't be able to make a sound until you give it back to them. The voice remains within the vrid and the person in possession of it can use it as their own."

"So…you could take my voice and walk around sounding like me?" Ginny asked.

"Exactly."

"Why would anyone want to do that?"

"Who knows," Harry shrugged. "Especially since it doesn't seem easy…" he trailed off, looking at the page he'd been reading again.

"And?" Ginny spoke up eagerly after another minute of silence. "How does it work? What's so hard about it?"

"It just takes a lot out of you," Harry said absently, still scanning the book. "You lose your strength…for a little while anyway."

"But how?" Ginny asked, "What do you have to do to make it record…or take someone's voice?"

"Here, look at this first," Harry said, spinning the book in his grasp so Ginny could see it right side up. "See that? That's a vrid."

Ginny leant closer to see the same small, dark, nearly paper thin object that Harry had seen in Dumbledore's office the previous day.

"It's so small…" she remarked, sitting back up and looking at Harry.

"It's supposed to be. It's flat so no one realizes you have it on you…you can't see it bulging through a pocket or anything, but in order to make it work, you have to hold it."

"Won't someone see it then?" Ginny asked, glancing briefly at the image and back. "It doesn't look like you could wrap your hand around it completely, and it would look somewhat odd to anyone else if you just kept your hands pressed together or something."

"That's what I thought too, but no one will see it," Harry explained. "When you want it to record, or to steal a voice…you press it up against your hand, and it phases right through…under your skin."

"Wouldn't that hurt?" Ginny cringed, clutching her hands against her chest.

"Apparently not…according to this, anyway," Harry replied. "You'll be aware that it's there the whole time until you take it out…it responds to your thoughts. That's how it records, whoever you want it to."

"And…to steal a voice?" Ginny asked. "How does it do that?"

"When the person is talking you have to be in front of them…and then just swipe your hand through the air."

"That's it? Then they can't talk anymore?"

"So it says here," Harry replied, flicking a finger against the book. "Again it won't do it if you don't want it to…so you can't accidentally take someone's voice away if you happen to be waving or something, but if that is your intention, that's all you have to do. It sucks their voice out as they're speaking and gives it to you."

Ginny simply looked from Harry to the book and back, before taking a deep breath and speaking quietly.

"And I ask again…why would anyone want to do this?"

"I don't know, Ginny," Harry replied, shaking his head slowly.

"Well why are you so interested in this thing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

Harry hesitated for only a moment, before starting to answer.

"Just promise you won't tell any of the other instructors I've told you about this, alright?"

"I won't," Ginny said, nodding faintly for him to go on.

"Hermione and I saw one in Dumbledore's office yesterday. She recognized it immediately and told me a little about what it did…and we both agreed Albus would never need one of those. It wasn't his though, it was left in his office from when Fudge was head minister, and Dumbledore locked it away."

"So, you wanted to know more about one…because…?" she prodded, knowingly.

"Because," Harry said with a smirk, "Thurston was behaving strangely yesterday. Hermione and I both believe he's up to something…Dumbledore thinks it as well, but we don't know what. I only wanted to know more about a vrid to see if it was something we might be able to use against Thurston, if necessary. Though now, I don't really see what use it would be."

"Well…at least you know what it does now," Ginny said with a shrug. Harry could see by the expression on her face as she glanced again at the book, she didn't much care for the vrid.

"In any case," Harry said with a sigh, "I better get this back to the library, and I still have more to do before class tomorrow."

"Yeah, I should probably get some homework done," Ginny said as she took Harry's extended hand, allowing him to help her up. "Seeing as how I've been procrastinating the entire weekend."

"Sounds familiar," Harry laughed, remembering how many Sundays he and Ron had spent racing to finish assignments while Hermione sat nearby, a smug grin on her face. "C'mon then," he said, starting up towards the school, "I'll walk you back."

Monday morning arrived at last. Harry woke early, dressing in a gray sweater and black slacks under hunter green robes. He skimmed through the Daily Prophet, which he found lying on his desk every morning, before heading down to breakfast.

As he ate, Harry listened while Hagrid went on about his garden, and how he needed to make sure all the animals were protected during the winter. He'd apparently spent the weekend making a new chicken coop, and now would have to transfer them all over to it.

When at last it was nearly time for classes to begin, Harry set off towards the dark arts classroom, moving along slowly. By the time he'd arrived, the room was half filled, and he headed straight for the desk to set down his papers.

He noticed Ginny enter the room, and she smiled up at him as she took her seat near the front; a girl named Sloane, who Harry recognized as one of her friends, took the seat just beside her.

When Colin made his entrance, he tripped over his own feet in his excitement to get through the door, his books sprawling across the hard stone surface and his arms splayed out in front of him. The Slytherins in the room immediately burst out laughing, pointing and jeering at Colin as he pushed himself up, his face beet red. A few Gryffindors shook their heads in exasperation, knowing the reason behind Colin's behavior, and the two nearest him bent down to help him gather his books.

"Quiet down," Harry said firmly, as the Slytherins refused to relent in their taunting. They did as they were told, a few snickering and whispering to one another, but Harry ignored it. When the students had at last all arrived, Harry checked the clock to see it was time to begin.

"Alright," he said aloud, "everyone please open your books to page 12. Today is going to be a lecture, but please don't be afraid to ask questions if you have them…"

"Why are you giving us a lecture when you gave the first-years a practical lesson?" a Slytherin boy cut in loudly. Harry glanced towards a desk in the back of the room near the left, seeing an olive skinned boy with dark hair smirking at him.

"Let me rephrase that," Harry went on, rolling his eyes. This was just what he didn't need. "Don't be afraid to ask questions that pertain to the lesson…"

"Well my question is about a lesson," the boy cut in again. Harry glanced down at the sheet he'd used for role call, remembering the boy's name to be Bryan, before looking back up.

"Questions, pertaining to this lesson, Bryan," Harry said slowly. He stared back at the boy, as if daring him to say something else, but Bryan remained silent, a smug grin on his face as he stared right back.

"As I was saying," Harry continued. If you have something to ask about what we're going over, ask it."

He paused a moment waiting for the few stragglers to get to the correct page, before beginning. He talked for a while about Kelpies, otherwise known as water demons, and answering any questions that were asked. The Slytherins remained utterly silent, but Harry didn't care at this moment. If they understood everything he was saying, that was great, if they simply weren't going to speak up because he was their instructor…well he'd find out when it came time for the first test exactly what the situation was.

In the corner of the room, however, near where Bryan was sitting, Harry had started to notice over the last few minutes that a mini scuffle was building. A Gryffindor named Zane, a muscular blonde boy who was seated very near to Bryan had begun to tear off small pieces of his parchment, and proceeded to levitate them over behind the Slytherin, before lodging one into his ear or down his collar.

Bryan was getting angrier by the second, and had been sending the ripped parchment back towards Zane, only putting an extra jolt of power in them so they were pelting the Gryffindor.

Harry shook his head in exasperation, wondering why they continued when surely they knew he could see them. He was about to open his mouth to tell them to stop, when one of the papers speeding towards Zane jammed up his nose, and his hands immediately flew to his face as he grunted in pain.

Bryan and his friends, who'd been watching the tiny fight with amusement, started snickering to one another, but all of them reached for their wands as Zane shot up out of his seat, blood trickling from his nose.

Harry saw what was happening as if in slow motion, but knew it had been building up to this, and was ready. As the Slytherin boys started to stand, Harry already had his wand out, sending a red splash of light down the row, splitting off the Slytherin boys from Zane, and effectively knocking all of them back down to their seats.

"That's enough," Harry said darkly, glaring at the corner where all the boys were seated, just starting to realize they couldn't stand. A few were trying counter curses and not paying the slightest bit of attention to Harry, but to no avail. "You can't break it, so you may as well give up," he spoke again.

"You can't do this, you know…you're a professor, you can get in trouble," Bryan called out threateningly.

"Well you are in trouble," Harry replied crisply, feeling his heart racing in his chest but giving the students no sign of this whatsoever, "so I suggest you stop talking right now, before you get yourself in more." He wasn't used to this…yelling at students…he didn't want to do it ever again, and now he would be forced, for the first time, to take points away.

"Now, I'm going to lay down a few rules before we go any further," Harry spoke again, his voice filled with more authority than even he thought he could muster. "Rule one, you do not use magic in this class unless I say it is allowed. Rule two, you never, ever, use magic against fellow classmates. Rule three, if you disobey either of the first two rules from this point on, you will be prohibited from bringing a wand into this class."

"If we can't bring a wand then how will we…?" one of the Slytherins began in a snide tone.

"You'll have to make the class up on the weekend," Harry replied evenly.

"You can't…"

"I can, and I will," Harry stated sharply, his eyes flashing. He knew this was going to happen, he felt it from the start. The students that knew him and didn't like him were not going to respect his authority as a professor in the least. "If you don't want this to happen, follow the rules. You're here for an hour and a half a week, it won't kill you," he said flatly.

He waited a brief moment until all the boys had quieted down fully, before releasing his hold over them.

"Fifteen points from Slytherin," he spoke sharply, and didn't fail to notice the look of pure hatred Bryan gave him before turning his head slightly and continuing, "Twenty from Gryffindor."

"Twenty?" Zane asked in shock, speaking for the first time during the argument.

"You started it," Harry said curtly, seeing a different expression cross Zane's face…betrayal. He hadn't expected Harry to punish him, no doubt, and certainly hadn't expected a larger punishment than he'd given to a Slytherin.

An awkward quiet settled over the room and Harry had to take a deep breath before continuing. He felt wrong for what had just happened, and hated that it had come to points being taken away. Why had they been acting so childish? He couldn't remember a fight like that ever occurring in one of his classes…but again, the answer that came to him, was that he, himself, was the reason.

Half the class had no respect for him while the other half was sure he'd never take points from them. Not only was he the head of Gryffindor but only a few months ago he'd been one of them. Harry was glad in a small way, however. Now it was out, he wasn't going to favor Gryffindor when it came to house points, and he had been wondering up until now if it was something he truly would need to worry about.

"If you need to go to the hospital wing, you may go," Harry said, looking back at Zane who shook his head stiffly, wiping at the tiny streak of blood on his upper lip and sniffing indignantly.

Turning back to the rest of the class, Harry picked up from exactly where he'd left off. He saw the confusion and anger on many faces in the room, but he didn't dwell on it now. Ginny, he was grateful to see, didn't look angry at him in the least, but rather sorry. She could tell he hadn't wanted to do what he'd just done, and he gave her a small grin in thanks.

The questions had all but stopped at this point, even Colin who'd been asking anything that popped into his brain to simply talk with Harry had gone silent, and the class continued this way until it was over. The students filed out of the room, looking both sullen and heated over what had happened, but no one made any remarks while in the room.

The next class of seventh-years, which came directly after the first went considerably better, and by the time it had ended Harry didn't feel quite as horrible as he had before.

With his classes for Monday done, Harry went up to his quarters and changed into jeans and a t-shirt, before starting towards the door, when his eyes fell upon the trunk of crystals for a brief moment.

Snape hadn't spoken one word to him since that first day in regards to the stones, not bothering to give Harry the slightest explanation as to why he wouldn't allow him to simply call on them by himself. It was nothing he hadn't done before, but Snape had been very adamant about it, and so Harry had grudgingly obeyed.

Turning the latch slowly, Harry opened the door and left the room, heading for the great hall, hoping to get a chance to speak with the potions master at lunch.

"Harry!" a familiar voice called out the moment his office door was closed. Harry glanced up to see Ginny and Sloane walking quickly up the corridor towards him.

"Hey you two," he replied with a nod as they came to a stop in front of him. "Did you need me for something?"

"We…well…we just wanted…" Sloane began.

"To apologize," Ginny stated glumly.

"To apologize?" Harry repeated, confused. "What for?"

"For what happened in class," Ginny replied.

"Yeah, Zane and Bryan have been doing that since first year…" Sloane added, "the two of them never stop with their stupid fighting."

"Really?" Harry asked, before continuing in a sardonic tone. "That's just fantastic." He paused for a brief moment before looking back at the two girls. "Well I don't see why either of you need to be apologizing for them, it's not as if you put them up to it," he grinned.

"Well, we still feel bad," Ginny said with a small shrug, Sloane nodding beside her.

"C'mon," Harry laughed starting to walk and gesturing for the two girls to follow. "I don't want either of you feeling bad over something you had nothing to do with. The class is over, hopefully that doesn't happen again."

"Yeah, hopefully," Sloane said, unconvincingly.

"Alright enough," Harry said lightly, "let's head down and get some lunch, as I'm sure you both have a class afterwards."

As the three set off down the hall, Harry tried not to think about what the two girls had said. He didn't want to go through the entire school year breaking up fights and taking points away, but if it came to that, he would have to.

When they'd reached the great hall, Harry said good-bye to the girls as they went to find seats at the Gryffindor table, while he made his way to the front. He looked towards Snape immediately, only to find him engaged in conversation with several other professors on his side of the head table. Deciding the potions master would more than likely be inclined to give him no answers if Harry were to interrupt him, he took his seat beside Hagrid and began to eat, hoping for another chance soon.

As the room began emptying out, and students began making their way towards their next class, Harry started to stand as well, deciding to head back to his office, when he felt a soft hand touch his arm. Glancing to his right, he found McGonagall looking at him, apparently having something to say.

"I saw there was a point deduction from you for both Slytherin and Gryffindor today," she began gently.

"Oh," Harry cut in, suddenly nervous, "am I supposed to report to you each time…"

"No dear, I'm not reprimanding you," Minerva interrupted with a rare smile. "I told you before classes started that if you deduct points that is your decision, and if a student's head of house wants to dispute it, they come directly to you. I will most likely never be called in for a judgment."

Harry wondered if that was actually going to be the case, now that he was thinking about it. Snape would most likely have a problem with him every time Harry deducted Slytherin points, though as of yet he hadn't mentioned anything.

"The reason I bring this up," McGonagall continued, "Is only because I know it is the first time any points were taken from a student by you, I wanted to make sure everything was alright."

"Everything's fine," Harry replied, allowing a small smile to touch his lips. He hadn't expected this from the headmistress, but it was nice to know she was looking out for him just the same. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who knew there would be problems when it came to the seventh-years. "Thank you for asking," he added, politely.

"Very well then," she nodded, standing up quickly, "please do let me know if you need anything."

Harry replied with a nod and watched as she turned and left through the back entrance, before standing up himself. The room was all but empty now, as most everyone had left to get to their classes. He crossed down the center aisle slowly, and exited the great hall into the corridor beyond, starting for his office.

As he walked, Harry glanced into various classrooms, noticing the different lessons that were taking place, and remembering his experiences with many of them. It was only when he came near to the transfiguration classroom that he slowed his pace, tensing up slightly. He could hear Troy's voice coming from behind the closed door, and he sounded furious.

No sooner had Harry recognized the transfiguration professor's voice than the door to the classroom swung open, and Hadley came stumbling out into the hall. Harry glanced at the girl, who'd obviously been pushed, before looking up to see Troy right behind her. Neither of them spotted Harry just a few paces up the hall, they were caught up in whatever argument was taking place between them.

"What did you think you were doing, girl?" Troy spat fiercely at Hadley as she turned her defiant gaze on him. She kept her mouth shut, refusing to reply. When the transfiguration professor lunged forward, blue eyes flashing dangerously, and grabbed Hadley's arm, Harry wasn't going to stay silent any longer.

"Is everything alright here?" he asked loudly, stepping out of the shadows towards Troy. The quickest glimpse of relief passed over Hadley's expression as she spotted Harry, but winced as Troy held her arm tighter, turning both of them to face the dark arts professor.

"Mind your own business, Potter," Troy hissed angrily.

"How about you let go of her," Harry replied instantly, nodding towards Troy's grasp on Hadley's arm. Releasing his hold immediately, Troy stepped back away from the young girl but kept his glare on Harry.

"She's disruptive and doesn't pay attention in class," Troy spoke heatedly.

"Well I don't know what you were told, but most of us take away points from the student's house when they get out of line," Harry said flatly.

"I know that," Troy spat, hatefully. "I was going to bring her down to see Professor Snape now."

"Why?" Harry asked before he could stop himself. "You can't take points away without his permission?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Potter," Troy replied, his voice having gone from animated to deadly quiet.

"Fine," Harry stated curtly. "Why don't I take her then? You have a classroom of first years that you probably shouldn't leave alone."

"No, you'll only lie to…"

"What do I have to lie about?" Harry interrupted, willing Troy to just agree to his offer and go back to the class. He didn't care for the way it seemed the transfiguration professor was going to hurt Hadley, who was glancing anxiously back and forth between the two now.

"True," Troy said quietly, after a long pause. "She is a Slytherin, after all."

Harry fought the urge to argue that Hadley's house made no difference in the matter, while it obviously did to Troy, who most likely wasn't taking points from the girl for that very reason. The transfiguration professor was on good terms with Snape, and didn't want to change that, presumably. All Harry cared about at this moment, however, was getting Hadley away from Troy, and hopefully finding out what happened.   
"Fine, take her," Troy said at last, dismissing the matter with an arrogant wave of his hand. "Just make sure you bring her directly back after Severus decides what to do."

"Are you going to at least tell me what you're punishing Hadley for?" Harry asked, moving up beside the girl.

"I told you before…she's disruptive."

"Right," Harry replied flatly, rolling his eyes as Troy turned away and re-entered the classroom. It was more than obvious he truly didn't want to do anything that would upset Snape, whose reputation for not taking points from his own house was well known.

"Well," Harry spoke again, looking down at Hadley who wore an expression that almost seemed grateful. "I don't know if Sna- er…Professor Snape has a class right now or not, so we'll try his office first."

"Alright," Hadley replied with a stiff nod as the two began walking down the corridor.

"So," Harry spoke gently as they made it to the stairs and started down towards the dungeons. "What exactly happened in class today?"

"Why, so you can get me in more trouble?" Hadley replied, stubbornly.

"How would that get you in more trouble?" Harry asked, confused.

"Because you'd tell Professor Snape then," she replied simply.

"I'm only going to say what Professor Ryan asked me to," Harry explained. "But I want to know what caused him to get so angry with you."

"Promise?" Hadley asked, guardedly, raising her gaze to meet his.

"Promise," Harry stated with a slight smile.

"I turned…I accidentally turned…one of the other girls' fingers into rat tails."

"That's an impressive accident," Harry said, raising an eyebrow. "And exactly how did this accident come about? Were you supposed to be transfiguring something into a rat?" he asked, remembering in his first class they'd been changing matches to needles.

"No," Hadley said quietly, then shrugged. "It was just an accident."

"Was this other girl sitting near you?"

"Sort of…" she trailed off, becoming very interested in the banister beside her.

"So you accidentally used a curse on a student who was sort of near you instead of on the match that you were supposed to be working on?" Harry asked, knowingly.

"Hey how did you know we were working with matches?"

"No changing the subject," Harry grinned, before catching himself and attempting to look sternly down at the girl. He couldn't help it, he liked Hadley, even though she'd only caused trouble the few times he'd been around her. "C'mon now," he began again, managing to keep his tone firm, "I know you're not telling me everything. Who is this girl you cursed and why?"

"Just some girl…I don't remember her name," Hadley replied with an indifferent shrug.

"Who do you have transfiguration with? Ravenclaw?"

"Yeah."

Harry gave an inaudible sigh of exasperation. It was obvious she didn't want to and wasn't going to say anything more. But he wanted to know if what Hadley had done was merely a stroke of luck on her part, doing something that most first-years might have a good deal of trouble with, or if she'd known exactly what she was doing.

There was no time left to talk about it anymore, however. They'd reached the entrance to the dungeon area a short while back, and the door to Snape's office was now in sight.

Harry and Hadley came to a stop before the large, thick, wooden door. Raising his hand slowly, Harry rapped his knuckles against the splintery surface, and stepped back, listening for a reply. For a long moment, the two stood in silence, waiting, and Harry finally decided Snape must be in class. Shaking his head faintly, knowing Snape would not be happy about being disturbed while in the middle of a lesson, he gestured for Hadley to follow him down towards the potions classroom.

They'd barely made it two full paces away, however, when the heavy door behind them was pulled open roughly, and Snape poked his head out into the dimly lit corridor.

"Potter," he grumbled, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of the dark arts professor. But as his gaze fell to Hadley his expression became questioning, and he glanced back up. "What's this about?" he asked curtly.

"Troy asked me to bring Hadley down to see you," Harry said evenly, stepping back towards the open doorway. "He was going to come down himself, but as he had a classroom full of students and I happened to be passing by, I offered to help him."

"How good of you to do so," Snape said flatly, without the slightest hint of thanks audible in his tone. "I still fail to see why, exactly, either of you would be bringing Miss Thurnes down to my office. She doesn't seem to be hurt…"

"According to Troy, she was being disruptive in class," Harry interrupted softly.

"And what was she doing?" Snape asked, fixing a pointed stare upon the petite girl, which she met evenly.

"He didn't say," Harry replied. "Just that Hadley was disrupting the class, and he wanted to talk to you about punishment."

"Did he?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow. Harry simply nodded. The potions master's eyes fell upon Hadley once more, and remained locked with hers for only seconds before he looked up quickly.

"Detention," he snapped, already starting to turn back into his office.

"Wait…that's it?" Harry asked abruptly, thinking surely Snape would at least ask Hadley what had happened. She was from his house, after all.

"You'd prefer I take points away, that it Potter?" Snape asked with a sneer.

"No, that's not what I meant…" Harry began.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Snape spoke over him. "But with the little information Troy has chosen to give me, I can't punish Miss Thurnes any more than that…it would be unfair, don't you agree?" he asked, grinning smugly.

"That isn't what I meant," Harry said again, straining to keep his voice even. He was not going to get into a fight with Snape here, in front of a student.

"Well what exactly did you mean then, professor?" Snape asked, snidely.

"Never mind," Harry said quietly, shaking his head and deciding to drop the subject. No matter what he said, Snape would find some way to turn it against him. "I'll take Hadley back to class now."

"And please, tell Professor Ryan I appreciate his consideration in handling this matter," Snape added, as Harry stepped past the office door.

"Yes, I'll be sure to do that," Harry called out over his shoulder through clenched teeth. He glanced down at Hadley, who didn't seem all that upset for someone who'd just been given detention, but didn't say anything, and for a few moments, they walked through the corridors in silence. As they once again reached the stairs, however, Hadley looked up at Harry, a curious expression on her face, and spoke in a soft voice.

"You said you wouldn't try to get me in more trouble…you promised."

"I didn't try to get you in…" Harry began, lowering his eyes to meet hers.

"You tried to get points taken from Slytherin," Hadley cut in. "I heard you, when Professor Snape gave me detention…you asked if that was it."

"No, I wasn't asking him for that," Harry started to explain. "I only wanted him to ask you himself what happened."

"So that I'd lose points for Slytherin," Hadley said, no questioning tone to her voice at all.

"No," Harry repeated firmly. "So that whatever punishment he decided on would be fair."

"Oh," Hadley said, sounding entirely unconvinced. Harry looked away, knowing there was no sense in arguing the matter right now, he was angry with Snape and didn't want to take it out on a student. How dare the potions master accuse Harry of being unfair, when that's all Snape had ever been to him when it came to house points? But he bit back his anger, and the two of them walked the rest of the way in silence. He left her at the door to the classroom, and briefly let Troy know Snape had given Hadley detention, before turning away and heading for his office.

"So I think it's safe to say she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you."

"Oh? What would you call it then?" Harry asked with a wry grin on his face, meeting his godfather's smiling eyes. The weekend had come and both Sirius and Marzia were sitting in Harry's office on a cool Saturday evening. Harry had been to the quidditch trials that morning, as promised, but didn't stay for all of them. It was better in a way, however, so that he wasn't tempted to interfere when it came to choosing which students made the team. He had seen one that would have made an excellent beater, but the few seeker tryouts he'd witnessed weren't impressive, and he hoped the ones that came later were better. The keeper trials had been held the night before, and he'd been unable to attend those altogether, but looked forward to seeing the full team during any practices he could make it to, no matter who was chosen.

"She's confused," Marzia spoke up suddenly, "wait until you've had a few more classes with her, it'll work out."

"She thinks I lied to her, thanks to Snape," Harry said, rolling his eyes in disgust.

"Maybe she'll realize what you meant," Marzia replied.

"You should have seen her in class on Thursday…" Harry persisted, "she did all she could to interrupt the lesson."

"You said she does that in all her classes though," Sirius said. "Even Snape's."

"Well, she does…but still…"

"Alright, why are you so concerned with this Hadley girl?" Sirius interrupted suddenly, arching one quizzical eyebrow. "She's not in your house…she's in Slytherin…so, why…?"

"Sirius Black!" Marzia cut him off, sounding appalled.

"Sorry, sorry," he said quickly, holding his hands up, feigning defense and trying to hold back a grin at her reaction. "I know…her house shouldn't matter…"

"I don't know why," Harry said quietly as Marzia gave his godfather an admonishing look. "She looks so familiar to me sometimes…and other times…nothing. But it's not that…I guess it's just…" he trailed off, searching, "I don't know," he shrugged, "I don't understand her behavior…and I want to. Why would anyone go out of their way to get into trouble? It's not as if it's ever anything worthy of being expelled…just little things, but enough so that it causes a bit of a commotion each time…"

"A Slytherin giving Snape grief," Sirius grinned. "You just have to like this girl, don't you?"

"Causing me grief as well," Harry added quickly as Marzia swatted at Sirius playfully, but missing, as he was ready for this reaction, slipping his arm around her and pulling her close.

"I don't hold any great love for Slytherins either, you know," Marzia spoke up softly, looking up at Sirius with a mixture of exasperation and amusement in her eyes. "But do you think you could try not to insult them at every mention of the name, at least while we're here?"

"I'd love to, but I'm afraid it's just impossible," Sirius smiled down at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I was born with just that unique ability, it would be a shame to waste it, right?"

"Oh I wouldn't say it's a unique ability," Harry laughed.

"No, I'm telling the truth," Sirius said quickly, an insistent expression on his face. "Didn't I ever tell you the first full sentence I ever spoke?"

"No, but we're just dying to hear it," Marzia spoke sardonically, leaning her head against his shoulder, and looking up expectantly.

"It was…Slytherin is full of slimy, stupid, greasy gits."

"Your mother must have been so proud…" Marzia rolled her eyes.

"Oh she was," Sirius nodded knowingly, a smug grin on his face.

"Slimy, stupid, greasy gits, ey?" Harry repeated, laughing. "I thought you only called Snape that last one."

"What a git?" Sirius asked. "No there are a great many people who I call…"

"No greasy," Harry cut in, trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh, well, yes…he certainly earned that name, wouldn't you say?" Sirius asked with a broad grin.

"Yes but I think what Harry is getting at," Marzia began with a tiny smirk, "Is that you wouldn't have used the term greasy to describe them…when you couldn't possibly have known Snape yet. Unless of course you didn't say your first full sentence until you were eleven…" she trailed off, smiling sweetly.

"Oh, that," Sirius said quickly. "Well…maybe I didn't say greasy…"

"Or maybe you were just lying?" Marzia suggested.

"Would I lie to you, love?" Sirius asked, flashing Marzia his softest smile, complete with puppy dog eyes.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Marzia replied coyly, a helpless smile appearing on her face despite her efforts to hide it.

"Should I leave the both of you alone?" Harry asked quietly, watching the bantering between the two with amusement.

"No, no, no…" Marzia said quickly, looking away from Sirius.

"But since we're on the subject of Snape," Sirius began, the mischief in his eyes gone for the moment. "What's going on with the crystals?"

"Nothing," Harry replied flatly. "He won't tell me why he doesn't want me to use them, just that I'm not allowed to until we start lessons again."

"And when are the lessons starting?" Sirius asked.

"Good question," Harry shrugged. "I have no idea."

"That man…" Sirius spoke quietly, anger suddenly evident in his tone.

"Look, I'm not planning on complaining right now," Harry said quickly. "I don't have a lot of time, the training sessions were not going well at all, and there doesn't seem to be a need at the moment to really use the crystals…"

"None of us thought there would be a need for you to use them when you and Mel were out in muggle territory over the summer and look what happened," Sirius stated evenly. "You were attacked by the Cult of Shadows. I'm sure the fact that we haven't heard from them in a while doesn't mean they've given up."

"I don't believe it means that at all," Harry said in a placating tone. "But Dumbledore was obviously right in that it would be hard for them to find me when I'm around lots of other wizards. You're right nearby…the school is filled with all the other professors…I'll be fine Sirius, don't worry."

A soft silence settled over the room for a long moment, in which Harry wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want his godfather running to the potions master and fighting his battles for him, or for Sirius to feel the need to show up at the school for regular check-ins. He wasn't a child anymore, and as much as he wanted and needed the love that Sirius and Marzia showered him with, he had to live his life, and deal with what came, on his own, if necessary.

"I know you're not a child," Sirius spoke up softly, as if reading Harry's mind. "I'm not planning on interfering in your life and your new job…I would never do that to you…but please understand, it's impossible not to worry. I love you Harry. I love you as I would if you were my own son. And if someone tries to hurt you, they are going to have to kill me before I'll let them touch you."

"Sirius, no…don't say that," Harry spoke softly, feeling both a rush of warmth and a stab of fear over his godfather's words, not wanting to even consider the possibility of someone else dying for him; especially not Sirius…never Sirius.

Hearing the emotion caught in his godson's throat, Sirius leant forward, embracing Harry as only a father could hold a son, and pulling him close.

"Don't worry," Sirius said gently after a long moment, a hint of a smile on his face, pulling back as he spoke and looking directly into Harry's eyes. "I have no intention of leaving you and Marzia anytime soon."

"You better not," Harry said fiercely, only half laughing as he spoke, while Sirius reached back around Marzia, pulling her nearer once again.

"I second that," Marzia spoke up then, "after all I do need you to be here at least until the end of December…" she trailed off with a smile.

"What's at the end of December?" Harry asked, curiously, looking back and forth between the two.

"December 31st, to be specific," Sirius said, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Wait…you mean…?" Harry began, now smiling as well.

"We didn't want to make a big thing of it…but we thought you'd want to hear it from us first rather than get an invitation…" Sirius said quickly.

"Of course I want to hear it from you first!" Harry exclaimed happily. "I've only been waiting a year for you to pick a date!"

"Well like Sirius said," Marzia began hastily, but unable to keep from smiling, "It's not going to be anything big, but we'll be deciding on a location and sending invitations…there's just so much to do…" she trailed off, obviously excited.

"Then I'll be keeping my eyes open for that owl," Harry laughed, "and let me know if I can help with anything!"

"Thank you," Marzia nodded gratefully, "though I'm sure we'll do just fine, and you have so much to do lately that we wouldn't want to burden you with anything more."

Harry just smiled in reply; he knew she was probably right; he wouldn't have much time to spare. Though it was nice to know the wedding would take place during the winter holidays, that way he wouldn't have to go rushing back to the school directly after.

"Speaking of that," Sirius said with a sigh," I think we've taken up enough of your time today, Harry."

"Which I don't mind at all," Harry cut in immediately, but started to stand as they did.

"We'll visit again if you aren't too busy, Professor Potter," Sirius joked.

"Anytime Padfoot," Harry replied, hugging his godfather quickly, before turning to Marzia and doing the same.

"Good bye Harry," Marzia said warmly, "Let us know how things work out with Hadley…and just be careful, okay?"

"I promise," Harry nodded. He crossed the office with them and watched at the door as the two walked slowly down the corridor, before turning away and shutting it quietly behind him.

The week went on quickly enough, and classes started to settle into a normal pace. Hadley's behavior didn't change, but Harry didn't expect it to, and it only made him more curious as to why she acted this way.

On Wednesday, when finally Harry had a chance to speak with Ginny about quidditch, she wouldn't tell him who'd made the team.

"Come to our practice this weekend…there's something we want to make sure is…alright, for us to do…" she'd said, uncertainly.

So when the weekend arrived, Harry made his way out to the pitch after breakfast on Saturday morning, anxious to see the new team. He noticed Ginny talking with Ray, Natalie and Su, along with three other students who were standing nearby.

"Oh, here he is," Su said, nodding towards Harry as he neared their huddle.

"Talking about me?" he joked as Ginny and Su stepped towards him.

"No," Ginny replied with a grin, before taking a side glance at Su and looking back. "But there is something we need to ask you…"

"Okay," Harry replied, hesitantly, seeing the unsure expressions on the girls' faces. "Should I be worried?"

"No, no…it's nothing bad," Su said quickly.

"We just wanted to check with you…on something…"

"Sure, what is it?" Harry asked.

"Are we allowed to let a team member switch positions?" she asked quickly.

"Switch positions?" Harry repeated. "Why? Who wants to switch?"

"It's not because this person wants to switch," Ginny said quickly. "It's because they're better than anyone else we've seen at…"

"Ginny…stop," Harry said with a grin. "Just tell me what's going on."

"Um…well…we didn't see anyone who we liked…for the seeker position…" Ginny began slowly.

"And?" Harry asked, eagerly, hoping that whoever had been picked could be trained easily enough. He hoped so badly that Gryffindor would win the cup this year, as they hadn't been given the opportunity to in the last two years.

"Well, when we'd finished the trials for seeker, I decided…just, you know…just to see, how well any of us would do in that position…"

"And?" Harry asked again, hoping this would be the last time.

"And…basically…Su caught it," Ginny said at last, before continuing on quickly, "not just once either! I let the snitch out seven times…she got it every time Harry!"

"Did you?" Harry asked, a large grin spreading across his face as he turned his gaze on the small girl.

"Yes, seven times," Su nodded shyly.

"That's great!" Harry said with a laugh. "How long did it take you to catch it?"

"I didn't time her yet, like I said it was a last minute thing…and we didn't practice with bludgers or anything yet," Ginny said quickly. "I was going to start that today…if it's alright she gets the position…?" she trailed off, hopefully.

"Is that really what you were worried about?" Harry asked with a large grin. "You looked like you thought I would scream at you or something…"

"I just didn't want to break any rules," Ginny said, looking relieved. "I wasn't sure if we were allowed to let our current members switch positions."

"Well don't worry, you're not breaking any rules," Harry assured her, before rushing on, "alright let me see the whole team…I haven't got much time today, but if I can see any of the practice I want to…"

Three students who Harry recognized to be a fourth year and two fifth years now completed the Gryffindor quidditch team. Kayleigh Mohr was the newest chaser, Christopher Raines made beater, and Jeenie Dawes was keeper.

"Okay, I'm not going to be able to stay for practice today," Harry told Ginny after he'd spoken with the whole team for a few moments. "I promised a student I'd help her go over part of yesterday's lesson, and I do have to get going. But next chance I get I'll be out here watching," he grinned, feeling a bit let down that he hadn't gotten to see what he wanted to, but at the same time greatly relieved that there was a full team.

When Harry reached the school after the quick walk back across the grounds, he set off right away towards his office, moving swiftly through the corridors. He knew he still had a few minutes but he wanted to make sure he was ready for when the student arrived.

As he turned the corner that led to the entrance for the Gryffindor common room, however, he saw something that made him slow down.

A small boy was sitting just outside the portrait of the fat lady, his knees bent up to his chest, and his chin resting upon them. His black hair was hanging in his half closed eyes, which were focused upon a small toad that was sitting nearly motionless by his feet. Harry was strongly reminded of Neville for a brief moment, sitting alone outside the portrait hole, anxiously waiting for someone to let him in, afraid that Filch might find him first.

But this boy didn't look upset, or scared. And as Harry came to a stop just in front of him, he raised his head, questioningly.

"What's going on Devon?" Harry asked gently. "Did you forget the password?"

"No, I remember it," Devon said quietly, returning his gaze to the toad at his feet. "Am I not allowed to sit here?" he asked.

"Well…no…I mean yes, you're allowed," Harry stammered, feeling slightly confused. He glanced up the hall towards his office, which was just around the corner, before crouching down and turning back to Devon.

"Can I ask why you're sitting out here…?" Harry ventured cautiously. He didn't want to seem as if he were prying, but if there was something wrong, he wanted to know…to help.

"I just didn't want to be in the common room right now," Devon replied with a shrug.

"Is someone bothering you in there?" Harry asked quickly, unable to stop himself.

"No, nothing like that," Devon replied casually. Harry waited another moment, but the boy didn't bother to explain any further.

"Well, what about the great hall? Or the library?" Harry asked gently. "There are other places you can go besides your common room…"

"I know," Devon replied with a faint nod. Again, no further explanation. Harry didn't want to press, as the young boy didn't seem upset or angry…but felt there had to be more to the situation then what he was seeing. Glancing at Devon's face, he saw the large blue eyes still fixed on the toad at his feet, and decided to change the subject.

"So, what's his name?" Harry asked, before adding quickly. "Is it a he?"

"Yes it's a he, his name is Les," Devon replied, with the smallest trace of a grin.

"Have you had him long?" he asked, glad to see something that made Devon happy.

"Since July," Devon said, now meeting Harry's gaze, "My mum took me to Diagon Alley so I could pick out my pet early. I thought about an owl, and I definitely didn't want a cat…but when I was in the shop, Les got free from his tank…and hopped over to me…" he trailed off, grinning at the memory.

"Fate, huh?" Harry asked, chuckling lightly.

"Yes," Devon smiled, "I scooped him up before someone stepped on him, and bought him straight away."

"And I'm sure he's much happier now," Harry nodded, glancing briefly at the small toad, before starting to stand. "Well, I have to get going for now…but if you ever want to talk, I'm right around the corner there, alright?" he asked.

"I know," Devon nodded, pausing for a brief moment before speaking quietly. "Thanks professor."

"See you later, Devon," Harry replied with a wink. He watched the boy for a second more, and then turned, continuing on up the hall, towards his office. It was obvious Devon didn't have many friends, though Harry couldn't see why. He was quiet, sure, but he didn't seem like a bad kid. He barely spoke in class, and usually ended sitting next to whoever arrived last. Hopefully as the year went on, he'd open up a bit.

As he turned the corner, Harry took one more quick glance down the hall at Devon, before stepping out of sight, and finishing the short walk to his office.

"Alright class, leave your books at your desks, take your wands, and follow me," Harry called out to the first-years. Several more weeks had passed since Harry's conversation with Devon. During that time, classes had been running as smoothly as could be expected, and quidditch practices were in full swing. The weather had been getting progressively chillier, resulting in an empty courtyard, and a very full great hall, during weekends.

The only low point, for Harry, had been during his first full moon while at Hogwarts. Snape had made sure the wolfsbane potion was prepared and waiting for him on the first night he would need to take it, and as always, the hours passed by agonizingly slow. But they passed, nonetheless, followed each time by a full day of feeling weak and ill. The students, thankfully, hadn't given him any trouble this time around; though as it was going to happen repeatedly, Harry could only hope none of them would notice the pattern.

Now it was nearly the middle of October, and Harry was getting ready to give the Gryffindor and Slytherin first-years a practical lesson. He led them out of the dark arts classroom and down the corridor. The small group ascended two flights of stairs, and went through a large wooden door on the seventh floor. When every last student was in, Harry shut the door, and beckoned them to follow him again.

They were in the very center of the school, where there were not many rooms, but rather large, unused chambers, that were dusty and damp. As there were no windows, and very few candles, the halls were dim, and Harry had his wand out in front of him, lighting the way.

When at last they came to another wooden door, Harry brought the students to a halt, before turning the latch and slowly pulling it open. The room beyond was lit from the far left by a warm fire, splaying the long walls and cathedral ceilings with eerie fast-moving shadows. As the class started towards the hearth under Harry's direction, he quickly aimed his wand down to the floor, searching for a brief moment, before finding what he was looking for, and turning away, joining the students by the fire.

"Now, before we begin, we're going to review," Harry called out so all of them could hear him. "We've been reading about Ashwinders for two weeks now, so first question…who can tell me what one looks like?"

As always, Ariele Clements' hand shot up into the air, followed immediately by several other students, including Hadley's. Harry glanced over the students, but decided to call on Devon. While his hand was not raised, he had a now familiar expression of eagerness on his face. Harry knew Devon had the answer, and wanted to get him talking more in class.

"Devon, any idea?" he asked hopefully.

"An Ashwinder is a very light grey, thin serpent with red eyes," the dark-haired boy spoke quietly. "It's not very long, at most two feet, but usually closer to eighteen inches."

"Five points to Gryffindor," Harry smiled. "Now, next question. How is an Ashwinder born?"

"It's not born," Hadley spoke up quickly, deciding not to wait for her name to be called.

"Hadley, this isn't a race," Harry said firmly. "Please wait until I call on you to answer a question."

Sighing lightly and rolling her eyes, the small girl slowly lifted her hand into the air, a sardonic expression on her face. Several Slytherins were laughing silently, which only encouraged Hadley's behavior, while the Gryffindors were glaring at her in annoyance.

"Since you've already begun," Harry said, feeling a mixture of amusement and exasperation, "please, continue."

"An Ashwinder isn't born," Hadley stated confidently. "It rises out of the flames of a magical fire that's burned for too long."

"Five points for Slytherin," Harry nodded. "Now, someone explain a magical fire."

Again, hands flew up into the air.

"Ethan," Harry nodded at a light-haired Slytherin boy.

"Anytime you add a magical ingredient to the flames, like floo powder, for example, it becomes a magical fire."

"Five points to Slytherin," Harry smiled. "Alright, so once an Ashwinder rises from the fire, what happens then? Ariele?" he asked, calling on the very eager young girl in the front.

"It finds a place to hide, to lay its eggs," she stated knowingly. "Usually it's someplace dark, covered in shadows, and it leaves a trail of ashes behind. It only has one hour though, because after that time the Ashwinder collapses into dust."

"Exactly, five points to Gryffindor," Harry nodded. "Last question…who can tell me about Ashwinder eggs? What has to be done to them?"

Another Gryffindor girl named Lea was called on, and she began explaining quickly.

"The eggs are a bright shade of red, and they're scalding hot. If you don't find them right away and freeze them, they will set their surroundings on fire."

"Correct, five points to Gryffindor," Harry grinned. "So now, here's what you're going to do today. There's an Ashwinder somewhere in these halls, and your job is to trace it. You all remember the freezing charm we learned in class?" he asked.

"Yes professor," the group replied unevenly.

"Good. There's only one trail; you have to follow it, and freeze the eggs. Now I don't want any fighting or shoving. The reason we're doing this here is because of the dimness, it will make it a bit harder to find the ashes left behind for you to trace. I'm not going to be awarding any points for finding the eggs first, I just want you each to do your best, and work with each other to get through this task. The Ashwinder itself has been loose for fifteen minutes. Remember they won't attack you. Use the freezing charm on the creature itself if you get there while it's still alive. Does everyone understand?"

"Yes professor."

"Good. Now, I'll be watching your progress and checking through the rooms up here as you go. As soon as one of you spots the Ashwinder, you are to shoot sparks up into the air, is that clear?"

The students all indicated that they understood, and at last, Harry let them begin. He stood near the fire, watching as some split off into groups, and other worked on their own, searching for any signs of the ash trail that Harry spotted when he'd first entered the room.

He saw a few start off in the entirely wrong direction, lost on some false trail of dust, and others that looked at a loss, unable to distinguish anything on the dark, dirt encrusted floor. Harry had thought for a long while about this lesson, not wanting to make it too difficult for the students, but not too easy either. He had no worries about any of them finding the Ashwinder if they followed the trail quickly, the creatures had never shown any interest in attacking humans, even those wizards that had ventured so close as to touch their rough, grey scales. It was only if you tried to touch the red eggs while the mother was still alive that they made any sudden movements, and even then it was only to take their eggs back, never to bite or attack.

As the minutes ticked by, many of the students had wandered off into adjacent rooms, and Harry started towards the one that he knew to be correct. He stepped through the large doorway and saw three students searching the floor. Ariele, Hadley and Devon. Harry grinned at them from his place by the entryway, watching them carefully inspect the floor. Suddenly, Ariele looked up towards the back of the room, where another door stood, slightly ajar. She hesitated half a second, before moving swiftly towards it and slipping through. Hadley looked up after her, a scowl crossing her face, before racing to the back of the room and following. Harry sighed; everything was a competition for that girl.

Devon, on the other hand, looked up as he heard his classmates running about, and watched them both go through the door, but didn't follow. Instead, he glanced at the floor again, before turning in the opposite direction, and leaving the room the way he'd come in, passing Harry on his way out.

Harry stared after him for a moment, confused. Devon and the girls were on the correct trail, and it had just been made very obvious that Hadley and Ariele knew they were close…so why did Devon suddenly abandon the trail and head back? He watched as the small boy took a right out of the room, passed by one door and entered the next, disappearing from Harry's view.

Shaking his head, Harry decided not to dwell on it much right now. Devon must have simply thought he was on the wrong trail, despite the confidence Ariele and Hadley had displayed, and decided to try another route. Turning towards the back of the room, he set off himself after the two girls, to see how close they were to their destination.

No sooner had he stepped through the door, however, than a fearful scream pierced the stale air.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry didn't even stop to think, feeling an icy chill run through him, and praying that no one was hurt as he ran towards the sound of the scream. He flew down the short corridor into a musty smelling room, where sure enough, there stood Hadley and Ariele, and Harry felt his jaw drop.

The two girls were just beside a decrepit, splintering desk that had only one leg left, and underneath it, he could barely make out the red Ashwinder eggs. But the mother, instead of lying curled around the eggs protectively, was coiled tightly around Ariele, pinning her arms down, its fangs sunken deeply into one of them.

Harry wasted no time and lunged forward, past Hadley who was simply gaping at Ariele, seemingly in shock. He took hold of the gray serpent by its head, knowing nothing would work on it except the freezing charm, and having no way perform it while the snake was holding Ariele, it would carry straight over to her, only causing more pain than she was already in. His only choice was to first pry it loose.

Harry could see Ariele was struggling to move her arms, whimpering almost inaudibly from the effort, but her strength was fading. Her knees began to buckle and Harry took hold of her, lowering her gently down so she wouldn't fall, while still trying to free her from the Ashwinder's hold. He had no time to think about anything except helping her.

"It's alright Ariele, don't worry," he said firmly, trying to assure her she was okay, seeing fear in her dark brown eyes as she met his gaze. Her breathing was coming too fast now, and Harry still hadn't been able to make the snake budge in the slightest. It only continued to tighten its hold, coiling itself further around the small girl, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

Feeling there was no other choice, Harry came to a sudden decision. He stared down at the blood red eyes of the Ashwinder, pulled his hands back, and started to speak.

"Let go of her now…" he hissed, hearing the words clearly in his mind.

The snake paused, becoming entirely still as it stared back at Harry, as if unsure.

"I said, let her go," Harry hissed again, forcing back the panic threatening to consume him. Ariele had gone very pale; she was barely putting up a fight at this point.

This time, however the Ashwinder stirred, pulling its fangs out of the small girl's arm, and slowly relaxing its muscles, loosening its hold. It slithered back towards its eggs, under the broken desk, as if nothing had happened.

"Ariele?" Harry asked immediately, urgency clear in his tone. "Ariele can you hear me?" He propped her up in his arms and pulled out his wand. The wound on her arm was bleeding freely, soaking her robes. Harry didn't have enough medical knowledge to treat the injury, but quickly conjured some bandages so as to put pressure against it. He was entirely grateful that the Ashwinder held no venom, so there was no danger that Ariele had been poisoned, though she still needed to see Madam Pomfrey right away.

What's going on?" came a small voice, which nearly made Harry jump. He glanced up to see what appeared to be the entire class now standing in the room. Most likely, they'd heard the scream as well, and came to investigate. They all looked shocked and frightened.

"What…what happened to her?" the student asked again, glancing worriedly from Harry to Ariele.

"It…it was…" Ariele tried to talk, but couldn't get the words out. Her breathing still didn't sound normal, but it was considerably better than what it had been only moments ago.

"It's alright, calm down," Harry soothed, seeing the pained expression on the young girl's face and brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I'm going to take you down to see Madam Pomfrey, everything will be fine…"

But Ariele shook her head, insistently, struggling to sit up further, small beads of sweat running along her hairline.

"Ariele, please stop, I'm going to put you on a stretcher and…"

"No, she…she did it…" Ariele breathed, pointing feebly towards the left side of the room, where Hadley was standing apart from the other students, near a large, crooked painting. The look of horror that had been frozen upon the young Slytherin's face suddenly became one of shock…and then anger.

"What? I didn't do anything!" Hadley exclaimed defensively.

"She did…she did what…what you did…" Ariele gasped, looking back at Harry. "She t-talked to it…"

"She's lying!" Hadley cried, sounding outraged at the accusation.

Harry, simply looked at the small girl, questioningly. Ariele had no reason to lie about this, the two girls had been the only ones in the room, and this would be the first time in history an Ashwinder had attacked someone. Could Hadley possibly be a parsel mouth? Another painful moan from Ariele, however, quickly drew Harry back to the moment. He immediately conjured a stretcher, lifted her into the air and set her down gently upon it.

"Everyone follow me," he stated evenly. "Once we're back on the fifth floor I want all of you to get your things from the classroom and head back to your common rooms."

"Wait…wait," Hadley spoke up, sounding less angry, but wearing a worried expression. "You don't think I…" she began.

"Hadley, I'll speak with you about this later," Harry said firmly. "Now please, I need you to…"

"I didn't do it professor! I swear!" Hadley insisted.

"Hadley, I said we'll speak on it later," Harry said, somewhat forcefully.

"Please, just…" Hadley began again, refusing to give up, but was suddenly cut off by another voice.

"Gelidus!" Devon yelled, stepping forward abruptly, his wand aimed down at the floor just beneath the broken desk. A blue mist filtered out of its tip and quickly covered the red eggs that had been about to ignite.

"Sorry," Devon murmured, dropping his wand into his pocket after the eggs had been doused.

"No, thank you Devon," Harry nodded, realizing in all the commotion he'd forgotten about the Ashwinder eggs. The mother had already expired, Harry could see, by the circle of dust on the floor.

"Alright everyone," he started, taking control of the stretcher and directing it towards the door. "Let's go."

Two hours after the incident with the Ashwinder, Harry was on his way to find Hadley. He'd brought Ariele directly to the hospital wing and explained what had happened to a very shocked Madam Pomfrey. She set off straight away with Ariele towards the nearest hospital bed and began examining her. Harry waited for a long while, until the nursemaid finally emerged from behind the curtains.

Ariele was going to be fine. There had been severe pressure on her ribs and lungs, and she'd been heavily bruised, but after a night of rest in the hospital, she'd be ready to go back to classes the next day. Thanking Madam Pomfrey, feeling greatly relieved, Harry set off towards Minerva's office. He wanted to be the one to tell her what had happened first this time.

After a brief conversation with the headmistress, informing her he hadn't punished anyone yet as he still needed to speak to one student, Harry started into the halls again, promising McGonagall he'd inform her of what had caused the attack as soon as he knew.

Lunchtime was just beginning, and Harry entered the great hall briskly, turning immediately towards the Slytherin table. Barely anyone was there yet, as students were still only just getting out of their classes. Turning around, Harry stepped back through the doors and waited in the entryway. Less than five minutes later, he caught sight of a petite girl with long black hair moving slowly up the corridor amidst a group of Slytherins.

"Hadley," Harry said walking up to the group. "I need to speak with you for a moment…"

"Now?" she interrupted, obviously annoyed.

"Yes, now," Harry replied firmly, not willing to play this game. Ariele could have died and he wasn't going to wait until Hadley felt like talking. She had been all too willing to profess her innocence earlier, when she'd only seemed concerned with the possibility that she might be in trouble, delaying Harry in taking Ariele to the hospital. Under normal circumstances, he would wait until classes were over for the day, but this discussion couldn't be put off.

"Well, I'm hungry," Hadley shrugged, looking as if she were simply going to brush Harry off and continue on her way. Her friends had all grown silent, watching the conversation with interest.

"I'll write you a pass, you can be a bit late to your next lesson if this takes long," Harry said sternly, trying not to punish Hadley in front of her classmates. "Now come on, we'll go to my office," he continued, not giving her another chance to argue.

Hadley sighed in obvious exasperation, before huffing after Harry, a dark glare on her face. She didn't make a sound the entire walk, keeping her arms crossed over her chest and her mouth shut. When they'd reached the fourth floor, Harry led the way towards his office, opening the door quickly and stepping aside to let Hadley enter, before following her in and closing the door.

"Alright Hadley," Harry began once the two were seated on opposite sides of his desk. "I need you to tell me what happened today, with the Ashwinder."

"You saw what happened," Hadley replied stiffly. "It attacked that girl…"

"Ariele."

"Yes, her."

"Hadley, today is the first time in known history that an Ashwinder has ever attacked someone," Harry said evenly. "Now I need you to tell me what happened that made it go after Ariele."

"I don't know, she must've scared it…" Hadley shrugged, unconvincingly.

"We both know that isn't what happened," Harry said, trying not to sound irritated. "If you really want to spend the day in my office then by all means continue with what you're doing, but neither of us is leaving here until you tell me what happened…what really happened."

Hadley scowled at Harry, crossing her arms over her chest and huffing. The petite girl looked dwarfed in the large wooden chair, swinging her legs back and forth underneath her impatiently.

"I don't know why it attacked her," she said quietly.

"Then just tell me what you do know," Harry prodded, "What happened when you first saw the Ashwinder?"

"Well, we both found it at the same time," Hadley began slowly. "I wanted to do the freezing charm but Ariele said no, she found it first…" she trailed off.

"And?" Harry asked. "What then?"

"I don't really remember," Hadley said, cautiously, before continuing hastily. "But the Ashwinder went after her really quickly…it just lunged at her."

"And you have no idea why?" Harry asked. "What made it attack?"

"I don't know," Hadley said quietly, looking down.

"Why would Ariele say you made it attack her then?" Harry asked softly, not wanting to sound accusatory.

"She's lying!" Hadley said fiercely, looking up in an instant, her eyes flashing.

"Do you remember saying anything to the snake?" Harry asked, wondering if Hadley could speak parsel-tongue but wasn't aware.

"I didn't tell it to attack her," Hadley said, insistently.

Harry surveyed the girl carefully for a long moment, before speaking again, quietly.

"Do you know what a parselmouth is, Hadley?"

"No," came the immediate reply. Harry waited another moment, before continuing.

"Ariele said she heard someone speaking the way I did to the snake just before it attacked her," he said slowly, "Did you hear what I said to it?"

"I don't know…you hissed at it," Hadley shrugged.

"That's what you heard?"

"Isn't that what everyone heard?" she snapped.

"Hadley, listen to me," Harry said suddenly, looking angry for the first time throughout the conversation. "Ariele was nearly killed today, she could have died. Now you were the only other person in the room with her and I need you to tell me the truth…"

"I am telling you the truth!" Hadley yelled suddenly. "The snake attacked her! I didn't know it was going to…and I didn't know what to do to stop it! Then you came and hissed at it to let her go and she blamed me for…"

"Wait, what did I do?" Harry interrupted anxiously.

"You hissed at it…" Hadley began, trailing off suddenly; her eyes widening.

"I thought you didn't understand what I said to it," Harry said quietly, looking piercingly into Hadley's worried blue eyes.

"I…well…I mean, that's what you must have said, right?" Hadley asked, weakly. Harry didn't reply, he simply sat back in his chair, watching the small, nervous girl.

"Hadley, do you know what a parselmouth is?" Harry asked again, his tone stern.

"I didn't tell it to attack Ariele, professor," Hadley said softly, looking ready to cry.

Harry felt sorry for her, and still didn't know whether or not to believe her story, but he now knew for certain she'd lied about one thing. Hadley could speak Parseltongue, and that was the only way that he could think of, that would make the Ashwinder attack. The two girls were the only ones in the room until he, himself, had arrived, and the other students had shown up over the next few minutes. If anyone had told it to attack, it seemed it must have been Hadley, but she was denying it so insistently…

"If you didn't do it, then who did Hadley?" Harry asked quietly. "Did you see anyone else in the room with you? Did you hear anyone?"

Hadley didn't reply, she simply shook her head slowly, her eyes fixed on her hands. She was sitting entirely still now, waiting for whatever was coming.

"And you didn't speak to the snake at all?" Harry asked again, rubbing his temples as the headache that had been steadily growing continued to build.

"I didn't tell it to attack her," Hadley said yet again, barely a whisper.

"But…did you say anything to it?" Harry asked, realizing she hadn't exactly answered the question. For a long while, neither one spoke, and Harry simply stared at her, waiting.

"It was just a joke," Hadley said at last, so quietly Harry could barely hear her. "I didn't think the snake would go after her…"

"What did you say to it, Hadley?" Harry asked flatly.

"I told it Ariele was trying to take the eggs…" she said quietly, before rushing on. "But Ashwinders don't bite people so I thought that it would just hiss at her or something…not attack her…"

"Explain to me, how you thought this would be funny?" Harry asked tiredly.

"I…I only wanted…"

"You wanted to freeze the eggs first, right?" Harry asked, going on without waiting for a reply. "It wasn't a competition Hadley. And now Ariele was hurt…"

"I know," Hadley nodded faintly, her eyes on the floor.

"Why do you do this in all of your classes?" Harry asked suddenly. "Why the disruptive behavior?"

Hadley simply shrugged, not bothering to reply, and kept her gaze down.

Harry shook his head sadly, and leant forward in his seat, resting his elbows against the surface of the desk and speaking firmly.

"What you did, while you didn't mean for it to hurt anyone, was inexcusable. I'm only going to take twenty-five points from Slytherin, because I believe you truly didn't intend to hurt anyone, but you'll also be serving detention for it."

Hadley looked up slowly, her eyes red and puffy, but she nodded stiffly, her jaw set firmly as she met Harry's gaze. For a brief moment, Harry wanted to go to her, to comfort her. He could see she was sorry for what happened, and he hated himself for having to punish her, but the situation had been too dangerous to have just let it go. He knew from the expression on Hadley's face that she wanted to be alone, it was a look he was sure he must've worn many times himself over the past few years. She wouldn't accept any comfort right now, least of all from Harry.

"Come on, Hadley," he said gently, standing up slowly. "I'll take you back downstairs, you can have some lunch and I'll write you a pass to your next lesson."

Hadley didn't reply. She slid off the large chair and walked stiffly towards the door, anger evident in her eyes. Harry didn't ask her anything more. He crossed the room and stepped out into the hall, before the two of them set off together down the corridor.

"Are you serious?" Ron asked incredulously. "She's a parselmouth? What did McGonagall say when you told her?"

"She seemed surprised," Harry said, as the two best friends walked side by side through the halls. The rest of the week had passed quickly, and it was now Saturday evening. "But she didn't sound too concerned," he continued. "I mean, even though parselmouths are rare, it's not as if they're non-existent."

"She didn't sound concerned?" Ron repeated, his eyes wide.

"Well, no…not really," Harry replied.

"So that's it?" Ron asked. "Nothing's to be done about her?"

"No, not nothing," Harry said, feeling slightly insulted. "I did take twenty-five points from Slytherin, plus she has detention, with me, actually…tonight," he paused for a moment, before going on, hastily. "Hadley's still a student at this school, Ron."

"Yes, but she's a parselmouth…" Ron began.

"Right, just like I am," Harry replied defensively. "Should we expel her for that?"

"No, Harry I didn't mean it like that," Ron said quickly, realization dawning in his eyes. "I only meant…well, why is she a parselmouth? We know where you got your ability…so where did hers come from?"

"I don't know," Harry said, shaking his head slowly. "Though I hope to find out."

"Harry…" Ron began tentatively, "I really didn't mean…"

"Forget it Ron," Harry interrupted with a smirk. "I shouldn't have jumped on you like that, I guess I'm just tired…and a little frustrated…I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Don't worry about it," Ron said with a casual wave of his hand, clearly relieved he hadn't really insulted his friend. "I'd probably be handling all of this much worse than you…" he laughed.

"Yeah, probably," Harry nodded, smiling.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ron said sardonically.

"Anytime," Harry replied. "Alright, so tell me…how is everything going for you? I read about all the games, but I want to hear it from you…"

"Oh it's the best, Harry…I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you did for me…"

"You got yourself on the team," Harry cut in. "If you weren't as talented as you are, my saying anything would have made no difference. Now, c'mon…tell me about it. Until I have time to actually come and see you play all I have to rely on is the sports reporter for the Daily Prophet, and he doesn't do his job as well as one would hope…"

"Yeah, we've noticed that," Ron laughed, before starting to tell Harry everything about practices and playing for a professional team. He'd actually come from a practice that very day, and had only stopped by for a quick visit. The two were on their way up to Harry's office, making their way through the familiar corridors and just having a good time.

When they'd turned into the hallway for the Gryffindor common room, they slowed down.

"Do you hear that?" Ron asked, stopping the discussion they'd been having and looking to the end of the corridor.

"Yeah, it's coming from around that corner," Harry replied, "near my office."

"Sounds like someone's banging…" Ron began, when suddenly a taunting voice rang out from the same direction, cutting him off.

"I know you're in there!"

"Peeves," Ron groaned, recognizing the voice immediately. "What is he up to now?"

"You can't hide!" Peeves yelled, cackling giddily now, the banging becoming louder and more insistent.

"Probably tormenting some poor student," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "Come on…let's go rescue them."

"Oh so Peeves listens to you now that you're a professor?" Ron joked as the two began moving again.

"I guess we'll find out…" Harry shrugged with a smirk. They moved quickly towards the end of the long hallway, the shouting and pounding growing stronger as they went. But when they were nearly there, the noise stopped abruptly, and the corridor went silent.

Harry and Ron came to a halt, looking questioningly at one another, when suddenly a pale white figure floated swiftly around the corner, and they stepped aside to allow a very frightened looking Peeves through. The two stared after him in confusion, exchanging mystified glances, before jumping forward into a run, pulling out their wands and skidding around the corner to meet a most unexpected sight.

The Bloody Baron was hovering just outside of the door to Harry's office, staring at it intensely.

"What is he doing?" Ron whispered.

"I don't know," Harry replied, shaking his head slowly, dropping his arms to his sides and relaxing slightly. The baron didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular; he was simply staring at the door.

Taking another glance at Ron, Harry shrugged faintly, before turning back around and starting forward.

He walked slowly across the short distance to his office, stopping just a few feet short of where the baron lingered. His heart was beating quickly, it wasn't as if he was scared, but part of him was nervous. In all of his years at Hogwarts he'd never so much as spoken a word with the infamous Bloody Baron, so why was the ghost now hovering outside of his office?

"Er…excuse me," he began uncertainly. "Is…is something wrong?" he asked.

The baron didn't reply, and for a moment, it appeared as if he hadn't even heard the question, when ever so slowly, his gaze dropped from the door and fell upon Harry.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Harry said, somewhat apologetically, "but if anything's happened…" he trailed off, before continuing hastily. "Was it Peeves? Did he do something?"

The baron shook his head, slowly; his eyes fixed on Harry's all the while, when he abruptly dropped his gaze, and turned, floating off down the hall and out of sight.

Harry stood where he was, frozen to the spot while staring after the intimidating ghost. An involuntary shiver ran up his spine and he tried to block out the image of the dead, white eyes that had been boring into him.

"Alright there?" Ron asked quietly, stepping up beside him.

"Yeah…I'm fine, just confused," Harry replied. He glanced over at Ron and forced a grin to his face.

"So then I'm correct in assuming the Bloody Baron doesn't make regular visits to your office now that you're a professor?" Ron joked.

"Very correct," Harry nodded, turning his attention back to the door, curiously. "So what was going on then?" he asked absently. "First Peeves is banging on my door…and then the baron is staring at it."

"Maybe Peeves thought the baron was someone else?" Ron suggested. "He could have been trying to frighten a student…like we thought, and it ended up being the baron. We know how scared Peeves is of him, which would explain why he passed by us without a second glance…"

"But it doesn't explain why the baron would be hovering about near my office in the first place for Peeves to confuse him with a student," Harry said thoughtfully, fingering the wand that he still held in his hand.

"Well, shall we go in then?" Ron asked, raising his own wand as well. "If there's someone in there we'll find them…"

Harry nodded faintly, raising his hand and grasping the latch, before he pushed the door open slowly. He stepped forward, poking his head through the small opening, and found it hard to see anything at all. It was fully dark outside, and there was no fire in the hearth as he hadn't been in this room all day.

Taking another step forward, feeling Ron right behind him, Harry quickly waved his wand at the fireplace, immediately lighting a warm blaze amongst the cold embers.

The room was illuminated at once with a fiery glow, and Harry and Ron scanned everything quickly, before stepping in further to take a closer look.

"I guess no one's here," Harry said after a few moments of searching. "It's not as if there's a great many places to hide anyway, as you can see…" he trailed off, turning around to look at Ron.

"Strange," Ron mused softly. "I wonder what that was all about then?"

"It's probably what you said," Harry shrugged, dropping his wand into his pocket. "Peeves mistook the baron for a student."

"But you said…" Ron began.

"If I get a chance to ask him why he was floating around by my office I'll let you know," Harry said. "Though he didn't exactly appear forthcoming when I asked him a few moments ago…" he trailed off, glancing up at the clock on the wall. "Hadley is going to be here soon," he said apologetically. "Sorry Ron, I didn't realize how late it was…"

"No don't worry about it," Ron grinned. "I promised Hermione I'd be back soon anyway…we're still fixing up the apartment…"

"That's right, I need your address," Harry said immediately, turning and heading towards his desk. "Here, write it down for me," he said, grabbing a spare piece of parchment and uncorking a bottle of ink. "What time should Mel and I get there?"

"Anytime after five," Ron replied, hastily dipping the quill and scribbling the address. "Hermione wants time to clean up…again," he said, rolling his eyes and grinning.

"Alright," Harry laughed. "We'll see you then."

"Good luck tonight," Ron said, opening the door and glancing back.

"Thanks," Harry replied with a wry grin. "I'm sure I'll need it."

Ron smiled widely, before stepping out of the office and shutting the door softly behind him.

Harry turned back towards his desk and lowered himself into the chair. He hadn't really wanted to be the one to oversee Hadley's detention, but as he'd been the one to give it to her, it fell to him to either find someone else, or handle it himself. As he'd never done this before, Harry was slightly nervous, despite the fact he'd had detention so many times himself to reference back to, he couldn't think of one that had went well.

In the end he decided to have Hadley meet him in his office and from there they would go to the dark arts classroom. There were two cabinets in the back of the room that Harry had been putting off sorting through since he'd arrived, so tonight would be as good a night as any to do it. It wasn't dangerous, and more importantly, Hadley wouldn't be out of his sight at all during the detention.

Glancing up at the clock again, Harry was surprised to see it was already ten minutes passed ten o'clock. Hadley was late. He pulled out his pocket watch, wanting to be sure that the time he saw was correct.

"Hmmm…" he frowned, seeing his watch read the same time as the clock. Was she trying to skip? Did she forget? Or could something have happened? He knew that Hadley knew where his office was, as he'd brought her there himself only two days ago.

Standing up slowly, Harry started to walk around his desk, intending to go look for the girl, when something caught his eye as he passed the window.

Squinting into the darkness, Harry saw someone moving across the school grounds. Pushing the window open, he shivered as an icy breeze swept through the opening, and leant out slightly.

"No," he whispered disbelievingly. The person below was wearing a dark cloak, with the hood drawn up over their head, but Harry could see long black hair whipping out around the edges, trailing behind as the person moved briskly over the grounds.

Their small frame immediately gave away that it was a student, and the hair only confirmed his suspicion.

It was Hadley, and she was heading towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Hadley!" Harry yelled loudly, trying to get her attention. But his voice was whisked away in the strong gusts pounding through the air, and the small girl never heard him. She wasn't running, but something in her walk made it seem she was determined to make it to the forest.

"Dammit, what is she doing?" Harry hissed, backing away from the window and glancing frantically around his office. He didn't want to lose sight of Hadley under any circumstances, but he had to get out there and stop her. In the time it would take him to get downstairs and out the door, she could already be well into the forest, and it was much too far of a drop from his office window to consider jumping.

For a brief moment, he considered going for his broom, but it was all the way up the hall in the closet in his quarters, and it would mean losing track of Hadley. Sighing in frustration, Harry looked helplessly out the window…he had to do something; he couldn't just watch her walk into the dark forest alone…

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wand, and glanced around the room, before settling on the enormous cabinet just beside his desk. Aiming quickly, Harry conjured a thick cord from his wand, tying it securely around the base of the cabinet, and letting the end of it fall out his window, down four floors to the dark grass below.

Slipping his wand back in his pocket, he looked out again, to find Hadley still crossing the grounds at the same pace. The wind thrashing about and whipping through his hair didn't comfort Harry in the least as he eyed the rope, and the long drop, but there was no other choice.

Taking a deep breath, he gripped the sides of the window tightly, and pulled himself up onto the sill, crouching so he wouldn't hit his head. He picked up the rope in his hands carefully and gave it a hard pull to assure himself it wouldn't give out, before edging himself out completely.

Harry put his feet up against the wall, intending to use the cord to help him walk down the side of the school. He was starting to wonder if this would really be quicker then using the stairs, when without warning, his feet slipped, and he lost his grip on the wall. The chilly air had left the side of the school damp and slick.

Harry's heart stopped in his chest as he glanced below him, his feet dangling. He started to swing his legs, hoping to possibly regain his grip, but the moment the cord rubbed against the hard stones, he felt it give.

It dropped mere inches, but Harry's hands slid harshly against the rough hemp at the sudden movement. He winced in pain as he was able to tighten his grasp, coming to an abrupt halt, but didn't dwell on it. Glancing as best he could over his shoulder, he was relieved to see Hadley was still in view, but he didn't have much time.

Deciding there was no other choice, Harry looked up at the window to his office, less than five feet away, before loosening his grip slightly.

His hands ran down against the rope, stinging in pain, and Harry had to clench his teeth, forcing himself not to halt his progress. When he was finally near enough to the ground, he let go, feeling his knees buckle under his weight, but regaining his balance quickly.

"Fantastic idea, Harry," he muttered sardonically as he examined the raw, tender skin of his palms. His hands were throbbing in pain, and he was only just realizing he hadn't grabbed a cloak, as the chilly air was filling his lungs, but he couldn't concentrate on it now. He glanced up towards where he'd last seen Hadley, to find her just about to enter the forest.

"Hadley!" he yelled again, as loud as he possibly could, but to no avail. Even if there hadn't been any wind, the distance between them was great enough that you wouldn't be able to hear someone calling to you. Slipping his hand into his pocket and taking hold of his wand once more, Harry took off into a dead run, praying he made it to Hadley before anything could happen.

Harry reached the edge of the forest, breathing heavily from the long sprint. He was grateful that the trees provided partial shelter from the biting wind, and brought his hands up, gently rubbing his arms and trying to keep warm, as he moved slowly through the dead looking underbrush.

Taking a deep breath, Harry shouted Hadley's name once more, hoping she'd be able to hear him better in here. Once again, there was no reply, though everything around him went eerily silent at the sudden sound of his voice. He looked out into the darkness desperately, not wanting to think about what could get to the small girl in here, and his heart leapt when he saw movement off in the distance. From where he was standing, he couldn't tell if it was Hadley, or something else that he'd probably rather not run into while alone in the dark forest at night, but at this moment, he had little choice.

"Lumos," he whispered, lighting the tip of his wand, and aiming it in front of him. He started forward through the mess of bushes and undergrowth, trying to move as quickly as possible for not having a clear path to follow. The figure in the distance was just barely in view, and Harry stumbled along, trying to close the gap.

The minutes ticked by and the darkness closed in around him as Harry moved deeper and deeper into the cold forest. He kept losing sight of Hadley, or at least what he hoped was Hadley, as he couldn't imagine her being much further ahead at this point. Her legs were a lot shorter than his, he must be close…

Harry came to a sudden halt as he became aware of something moving nearby. It sounded like something was crawling through the underbrush. The tall grass was swaying as whatever it was pushed its way through; it seemed to be all around him.

Starting forward again, Harry decided not to wait around to see what it was. He wanted to find Hadley and get both of them out of there, and then he wanted to find out why she would ever come into the forest on her own in the first place. Not only had she not shown up for her detention, but she'd directly broken a school rule, and McGonagall would not be pleased.

Harry had only made it a few feet, however, when he heard a soft whimpering just to his left, and aimed the light from his wand there immediately.

"Hadley," he breathed, feeling a sudden wave of relief. She was about fifteen feet away from him, trying to pry her foot out of a small patch of undergrowth.

"Hadley," Harry said, loudly this time. The small girl gave a final tug, freeing her foot and taking a step back to keep her balance, before looking up at Harry, her expression calm and even as small wisps of her long black hair were whipped around her face from the wind. "It's time to go back," he continued, starting to move forward.

Hadley made no movement, either to run away or to go towards Harry. She stood silently and watched him as he worked his way through the brush. Harry looked at her warily, wondering why she was behaving this way; he was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't realize when the bushes just beside him start to sway unevenly.

Without warning, Harry felt a sudden pinch around his ankles, and his legs were roughly clamped together as a thick vine coiled itself around them. He reached out with his hands, trying to grab hold of a nearby branch to catch his balance, but whatever the vine was attached to wrenched backwards suddenly, pulling Harry to the hard ground. He felt a snap of pain and tasted blood as his head hit the dirt, and he struggled to turn over as the vine began to drag him through the undergrowth, not caring what was in its path.

"Hadley, run!" Harry cried, not even sure where the girl was at the moment as he could no longer see behind him. He'd managed to get onto his back, and thankfully hadn't lost hold of his wand, gripping it tightly in his fist, but his legs were tightly bound together, and despite his thrashing to free himself, it did no good. The creeper pulled him mercilessly forward, through prickler bushes and over dead, jagged tree branches.

Fighting back a wave of panic, Harry tightened the grip on his wand, his hands aching and slick with sweat.

"Confervefacio," he choked out, as dirt that was stirred up continued to smack him in the face, getting in his mouth and down his throat. The light at the end of his wand immediately turned a searing hot red-orange, and Harry fought with every last ounce of strength he had to pull himself up into a sitting position as he was dragged along. He slammed the deathly hot tip into the nearest portion of the vine, and immediately cringed as an ear-piercing scream and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. But the vine released him instantly, and Harry wasted no time in jumping to his feet. He turned around quickly, scanning the area for Hadley.

Suddenly, the same voice that had screamed let out a cry of outrage and Harry was barely able to move a full pace forward before another vine twisted itself around his waist, lifting him high into the air. He felt the pinching much more forcefully this time, noticing what looked to be thorns of some sort all along the creepers.

The air was being pushed out of him as the vine slowly tightened around his middle, and he struggled to catch his breath.

"Confervefacio," he barely managed to say in one strangled breath, and slammed his wand full force into the creeper, piercing its thick hide, nearly choking on the stench as thin grey smoke billowed out of the burn. But it worked instantly, as the hold around him was released immediately, and Harry fell to the hard ground. Breathing heavily, he scrambled frantically to his feet and made a mad dash away from the tree nearest him, which he was positive had been the source of the screaming. He didn't care what it was or what it had been planning to do with him at this moment, he just wanted to be away before it tried to go for him again.

"Hadley?" he called out when he'd made it back to the area he'd originally found her in, keeping alert for any sign of movement. He wasn't sure if she'd listened when he'd told her to run or not, but he certainly wasn't going to simply assume she had, he had to be sure. "Hadley please, if you're here just answer me. It's time to go back to the school…" he called out, stumbling weakly through the brush, every muscle in his body aching, covered in scrapes and bruises. His shirt was dotted with small bloodstains around his middle where the thorns had pierced his soft skin, and judging by the stinging in his ankles, he was sure they were in much the same condition.

"Hadley?" he called again his voice shaking from exhaustion, feeling an overwhelming chill run through him as he came up to a small clearing just a short distance past where he'd first seen her. But as he reached the edge of the clearing, his jaw dropped in horror, and he felt his blood run cold at the sight before him.

Hadley was standing on the opposite side of the clearing, but the expression on her face was no longer calm, it was terrified. She was paralyzed with fear, her wide eyes focused on the two figures emerging from the trees barely five feet away.

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat, recognizing them instantly.

Dementors.

After just a second's hesitation, Harry snapped out of his initial shock and raised his wand, intending to use the Patronus Charm, when a hand clamped roughly over his right wrist, jerking him violently around on the spot and slamming his back up against the nearest tree.

"Well, well…if it isn't Harry Potter," came a dark voice from beneath a hooded black cloak.

"Get off of me," Harry spat, trying to twist his arm free from the man's vice-like grip.

"You look tired, Harry," the man spoke softly, his voice dripping with mock concern, seemingly unfazed by Harry's struggling. "Had a bit of trouble back there with the Leech Tree, did you?"

"Let me go," Harry said in a strained voice, ignoring the question. He assumed this man had to be a death eater, but he didn't recognize the voice, and his face was entirely hidden. He raised his other hand, trying to pry loose the fingers gripped tightly around his wrist, but it was like trying to move steel, the man wouldn't budge.

"No! No please…don't!" a terrified scream rang out from behind him, and Harry craned his neck to see one of the dementors was holding Hadley from behind, pinning her arms down to her sides. She was fighting to free herself, but was visibly shaken and weak from whichever horrifying memory replayed itself in her mind. Her eyes were red, and tears streaked down the sides of her face as she whimpered helplessly, her knees slowly buckling beneath her as her strength was drawn away.

Harry gasped in horror, however, when the second dementor stepped up just in front of the small girl, and began to lower its hood, revealing the eyeless head covered in scabby grey skin. Its shapeless, gaping mouth was sucking in the air, and it clamped its cold hands around Hadley's small, fragile neck, raising her head towards its own.

"No, stop!" Harry yelled towards the dementor, knowing it would do no good, and using all of his strength to try to break the hold this dark man had on him. He tore his eyes away from the sight behind him to the hidden face in front, before his eyes fell on his wand in his captive hand. Abandoning his attempts to pry the fingers from his arm, he shot forward with his left hand suddenly, trying to get his wand, but the man was too quick for him. In a flash he held both of Harry's arms in his steely grip, and a low, wicked laugh rose out from under the black hood.

"You can't let them…I have to save her!" Harry said desperately, pleading with the man and beyond alarmed at how futile his attempts to free himself were. Despite being injured and tired, he should have been able to do something by now. But he could do nothing…and the panic was threatening to consume him as he fought to keep it at bay.

"Why? Is the girl special to you?" the man drawled, curiously.

"She's just a child," Harry said earnestly, looking away from the hidden face, praying there was still time. Hadley was straining with what little strength she had left in her to pull away from the dementor, and Harry felt his heart racing in his chest as he watched her slowly fading out of consciousness.

"Fair is fair," the man said suddenly, and Harry spun his gaze back around at once. "You saw her leave, followed her through the forest and fought off the vines of the Leech Tree," he went on as if talking about the weather. "Save her if you can."

With that, the man released his hold on Harry's wrists, and stepped back a pace. Harry wasted no time. Without sparing the man a second glance, he whirled around on the spot, raising his wand and aiming across the short distance to where the dementors stood.

"Expecto Patronum!" he shouted fiercely, squinting his eyes against the blaring white light that exploded from the tip of his wand, quickly taking the form of a stag and charging at the dementors, just as the one in front finally closed its gaping mouth over Hadley's. Harry held his breath, his heart stopping in his chest, but as always, the Patronus fought back the black beings, pushing them off of Hadley and out of sight into the trees beyond.

"Hadley!" he cried, racing across the clearing and falling to his knees by the limp girl's tiny form. She was breathing shallowly, and her skin was pale and cold as ice. Slipping his wand into his pocket and wiping sweat from his brow, Harry gently but hurriedly scooped Hadley up into his arms, paying no attention to the dull aching, which seemed to encompass every inch of him. He turned and started back in the direction he'd come, as quickly as possible.

The mysterious man was gone now, but Harry didn't care at the moment. He wanted nothing more than to get Hadley back to the school and make sure she would be alright…

Harry stumbled through the forest, trying to move hurriedly while holding Hadley tightly in his arms, feeling her shivering against him. He didn't want to put her on a stretcher, for fear that something else may suddenly jump out at them, and felt safer just holding onto her. He made sure to avoid the Leech Tree, as the dark man had called it, and could hardly believe it when, after what felt like hours, Hogwarts was finally in sight. Nearly out of breath and weak from exhaustion, Harry forced himself to walk across the school grounds, sweating and aching from all that had happened, the wind whipping Hadley's long hair into his face.

When at last he reached the entrance steps, he felt a wave of relief, but knew he wasn't done yet. Just a little bit further, he told himself as he entered the cool, stone atrium of Hogwarts. He immediately set off towards the hospital wing, his muscles screaming in protest with every movement. But as he turned the first corner, he ran into the last person he wanted to see.

"Watch where you're going!" Troy snapped as Harry swung blindly into the hallway, but his expression instantly changed from annoyed to confused, when he saw the state Harry was in, and who he was carrying.

"Didn't you have a detention with this one tonight?" Troy asked gesturing disdainfully towards Hadley before eyeing the blood and dirt that Harry was covered in and smirking. "You know Potter, I don't think wrestling is an acceptable form of…"

"Troy…move," Harry interrupted darkly, ready to collapse as he pushed past the arrogant man and continued up the hall.

"Despite being the unconscious one, however…she looks like she had the better time of it," Troy continued snidely, quickly turning and following after Harry. "Because you look horrible."

"Your concern is touching, really," Harry said hastily, struggling to make it up the corridor and refusing to look at Troy. "Just overwhelming. Now if you don't mind how about you make yourself useful and go find Minerva. Tell her to come to the hospital wing," then almost as an afterthought, "oh…and Snape too." Hadley was in the potions master's house, after all. He'd need to be informed of what happened.

"Poppy can summon them when you…" Troy began to argue, obviously not wanting to go.

"Troy!" Harry snapped in a strained voice. "Hadley is hurt, she was attacked tonight. Now will you please just go get Minerva and Snape? I'd rather not have Madam Pomfrey stop what she's doing to have to call for them herself."

Troy's smile faded immediately, and he glared at Harry, but nodded stiffly, before turning and strolling down the hall in the opposite direction.

Harry shook his head in exasperation, but refused to dwell on it now. The hospital wing entrance was at last in sight, and Harry had never felt more relieved to go through those double doors than he did right now.

He crossed to where the initial examination beds were and carefully laid Hadley down on top of the soft sheets, before turning towards Madam Pomfrey's office. She was already heading quickly towards him, however, as she'd seen him pass by, and her eyes were wide with concern.

"Harry, what happened? Who did this to you?" she asked hurriedly as she reached him, her eyes taking in his disheveled appearance. He didn't even want to know what he looked like at the moment, and shook his head quickly.

"Poppy, don't worry about me right now," he said, both exhaustion and urgency coming through in his tone. "Hadley was attacked, you need to look at her first."

"Who attacked her?" Pomfrey asked, turning her gaze on the small girl just behind Harry and starting her usual examination. "At least sit down Harry," she added, giving him a pointed look.

"Dementors," Harry said dismally, nodding faintly and moving around to the opposite side of the bed towards the nearest chair. "Two of them."

"Dementors?" Poppy repeated, paling noticeably as she glanced up. "In the school?"

"No, in the dark forest," Harry replied. "I'll explain later…but one of them got to her, it started the kiss…I don't know if it affected her…" he trailed off, his stomach twisting with worry over the thought. "I didn't want to waste any time by trying to wake her up in the forest…I didn't know if the dementors would return so I just got her out of there…and I haven't even tried to give her chocolate yet."

"Calm down, Harry, calm down," Pomfrey said softly, gesturing with her hands for Harry to relax. "The kiss didn't affect Hadley…I'd be able to tell just by looking at her. Nevertheless, she is in need of chocolate right now…" she trailed off, reaching into her white robes and drawing out her wand.

"Enervate," she spoke gently, aiming the tip at Hadley. The small girl's eyelids fluttered open lazily and she blinked a few times before finally focusing her gaze on Madam Pomfrey.

"Good evening," Poppy spoke softly, smiling faintly down at Hadley.

"Where am I?" Hadley whispered in reply, looking confused and scared. She shivered visibly, and began struggling to get into an upright position. She stopped abruptly though, lifting her hands to her upper arms, and rubbing weakly. "It's so cold…"

"Here dear," Madam Pomfrey said soothingly, helping Hadley get situated before lifting her wand once again. She waved it swiftly in front of her, conjuring a thick block of chocolate from thin air and breaking off a piece. "Eat some of this," she said, handing Hadley the flat chunk. Harry watched anxiously, feeling immense relief when Hadley slowly bit into the chocolate, and the color immediately began to return to her face.

"Do you need some of this, Mr. Potter?" Poppy asked, holding out a second piece and giving Harry yet another pointed stare.

"No," he replied, shaking his head weakly. "I wasn't close enough to feel any of the effects…"

"Yes well, you were obviously close to something else," Poppy said worriedly as she eyed Harry's injuries once more. "I'll need to check you over…"

"Soon, I promise," Harry said quietly, turning away and looking at Hadley who was staring straight back at him, a wary expression on her face.

Before Harry had a chance to say a word, however, the double doors to the hospital wing swung open briskly, and Minerva strode into the room, followed closely by Snape. Troy was with them as well, though lagging slightly behind the other two, and looking curiously at Hadley.

"Harry, what's happened?" McGonagall asked hurriedly as her concerned gaze swept over both he and Hadley.

"That's what I was just trying to find out," Harry replied, looking up at the headmistress through tired eyes.

"And that means what, exactly?" Snape spoke up sharply, glaring darkly at Harry. "What was your plan for Miss Thurnes' detention this evening? You've obviously endangered her life and…"

"Severus!" Minerva's crisp voice cut the potions master off at once. Harry was just staring at Snape, shocked to silence.

"That's quite enough," McGonagall continued stiffly, "we haven't even heard what's happened yet."

"You heard what Troy said," Snape replied through clenched teeth. "Hadley was attacked…and look at Potter," he went on, gesturing to Harry's wounds and bruises, "obviously it was the truth…"

"I was attacked as well," Harry said, finding his voice and straining to keep it even. "But not by the same things that went after Hadley…and I certainly never planned on this. I planned on having the detention in the dark arts classroom…"

"Then how, pray tell, did you end up outside?" Snape asked, a steely edge to his voice.

Harry returned Snape's glare, and for a long moment made no reply, until finally he tore his gaze away and looked to McGonagall.

"Would it be possible to talk about this…somewhere else?" he asked, his eyes flickering towards Hadley for the briefest second and back again. Minerva caught the motion immediately, however, and nodded once. Harry was relieved for that, at least. He didn't want to upset Hadley by what he was sure would not be a pleasant discussion, and slowly began to stand. But the dull stinging in his ankles increased intensely, and Harry inhaled sharply, grabbing tightly to the post that ran alongside the bed to prevent himself from collapsing.

"Harry sit down," Madam Pomfrey spoke up firmly, coming around the bed as she spoke. "You're in no condition to…"

"Poppy, this can't wait," Harry said weakly. "It's too important…" he trailed off, noticing Hadley staring intently at him. She didn't look worried or scared, but rather confused.

"Look," he continued, hastily. "It won't take long to do this if everyone just listens," he said, looking pointedly at Snape, "and doesn't interrupt me. Please Poppy?" he asked, looking directly into her eyes.

"I'm timing you," Madam Pomfrey replied, no hint of joking in her tone. "You've got fifteen minutes, use my office if you'd like."

"Thank you," Harry nodded gratefully before taking a deep breath. He was prepared for the pain this time, and started to move forward around the bed.

"No you don't, Harry," Poppy said quickly, taking hold of his arm and lowering him back into the chair.

"But you just…" he began to protest, trailing off as she held up her hand to silence him. With a quick swish of her wand, the chair Harry sat in was lifted into the air, only inches above the floor, and he held tightly to the arms as Pomfrey directed it across the short distance to her office.

"Thanks," he said, not caring that Troy was snickering at him from where he stood away from the group. Pomfrey simply nodded, and stepped aside, allowing the other professors to enter the office, before she shut the door silently behind her.

"Not a word, Severus," McGonagall spoke up sternly, looking pointedly at the potions master as they took their seats, before turning her gaze away. "Now, please…tell us what happened tonight Harry."

Harry nodded faintly, not bothering to look at Snape to see his reaction, and began explaining, as quickly as possible, everything that had happened over the last two hours. Seeing Hadley on the grounds, getting down and going after her, the Leech tree, the dark man, and the dementors. Harry spoke hastily, wanting to make sure they were told everything, and hoping to get a chance to speak with Hadley when he was finished.

"I will have to report this to Albus," McGonagall said at once, a somber expression on her face. "Dementors near the school…attacking a student… The ministry must be told at once."

"Why was Hadley out there in the first place?" Snape spoke up suddenly, his eyes boring into Harry's own.

"I haven't exactly gotten a chance to ask her yet," Harry replied flatly. "She only just woke up before you arrived. I was hoping to speak with her about it now, actually."

"Yes, perhaps that would be best," McGonagall said seriously. Under normal circumstances, Minerva would want the student to get their rest and speak with them about it later, but this different, and they all knew it. She stood up from her chair briskly and started for the door, before turning and looking down at Harry.

"Maybe it would be better if you let Poppy tend to your wounds now, Severus and I can speak with Hadley."

"No," Harry said evenly. "I want to know what happened out there tonight, I won't be able to get any rest until I know…at least as much as Hadley knows, anyway."

Snape looked as if he wanted to argue this but McGonagall spoke up first.

"Very well," she said with a curt nod, an unreadable expression on her face. She turned back towards the door, lifting Harry's chair with her wand, and started out into the examination area again.

Harry looked away as the chair he was on floated through the doorway and Troy stood there, sneering at him, waiting anxiously for the professors to emerge. Harry could feel himself going red in the face over the way both Poppy and Minerva had decided he should not be allowed to walk on his own, and wished they hadn't chosen to move him around as if he were disabled, but knew it would do no good to dwell on it now.

McGonagall spoke briefly with Madam Pomfrey, who directed them to the back of the hospital wing, where she'd moved Hadley. The small girl was propped up against several soft, white pillows, her black hair splayed around her, and her eyes staring absently up at the ceiling. Her robes were hanging in the half-open closet just beside the bed, and she was now wearing a warm, white nightgown.

"Good evening, Hadley," Minerva said gently, a soft urgency in her tone as she set Harry down beside the bed and lowered herself into a nearby chair to his left. Snape and Troy went around to the opposite side of the bed, and seated themselves quietly. "I can imagine you must be quite tired after what you've been through tonight, but it's terribly important that we speak with you now. We need you to tell us why you went outside this evening."

Hadley ever so slowly lowered her gaze from the pristine white ceiling above her and fixed her big blue eyes on Minerva.

"I can't," she spoke softly, her voice barely above that of a whisper.

"Why not?" Troy asked quietly, a cynical eyebrow arched at Hadley.

Harry glanced darkly at Troy, wishing he weren't here for this discussion, as Hadley turned her gaze upon him as well.

"Because…I don't…I don't really remember…" she replied, hesitantly.

"You don't remember anything?" Minerva asked, curiously.

"Well…I remember leaving my common room, I was on my way to Professor Potter's office…" she trailed off, her expression becoming fearful. "And then all I know is that I was somewhere dark…and these things…I don't know what they were…" she was breathing quickly now, the memory replaying in her mind. "They wouldn't let me go…and one of them grabbed my neck…it tried to…it-" Hadley stopped abruptly, choking on the words as her eyes welled up.

"Shhh…it's alright, you're safe now," Harry spoke soothingly, leaning forward in his chair and taking one of the small girl's hands in his own. She nodded faintly, before quickly wriggling her hand free and wiping furiously at her eyes.

"So…that's it then?" Troy asked, his voice dripping with skepticism as he fixed his gaze on Hadley. "You simply don't remember, and that's the end of it?"

"Troy…" Harry began through clenched teeth.

"No, no, no Potter, I'm trying to figure this out," the transfiguration professor said intently. "Hadley here has just informed us she was on her way to your office, and the next thing she knows she's in the Forbidden Forest and a dementor has its hands on her, is that right?" he asked, looking sharply down at the small girl.

"I was in the dark forest?" Hadley whispered, her eyes growing wide.

"Answer my question Hadley," Troy said curtly.

"Um…yes, that's right," she replied with a faint nod, looking hesitantly at the seemingly anxious redhead.

"Well, if you were on your way to Potter's office…why were you wearing your cloak?" Troy asked snidely.

"My cloak? I wasn't wearing my…" she trailed off as Troy jumped up from his seat, turning towards the closet against the wall near where he sat, and reaching in.

"Is this yours?" he asked quickly as he drew out a warm, black cloak. He flipped the hood back and pushed up the tag. "H. Thurnes. It's yours alright. Halls a bit chilly for you, were they?"

"But I didn't…" Hadley began, defensively.

"You didn't take your cloak?" Troy asked, curiously, a small grin on his lips. "Then how come you were wearing it when Potter found you?"

"I don't know," Hadley replied, barely audible.

"Stop badgering her," Harry spoke up then, glaring angrily at Troy.

"You should be more appreciative of what I'm doing for you here, Potter," Troy spat darkly.

"What are you…?" Harry began.

"Who's to say her little story here isn't all an act?"

"Troy, that's enough," McGonagall spoke up then, her tone severe and her expression stony. "Hadley has had a very trying evening and I suggest…"

"Minerva, please…just hear me out…" Troy interrupted, earnestly.

"Only if you refrain from accusing anyone without proof," McGonagall replied evenly.

"Alright…" Troy nodded, before lowering his eyes once more to Hadley, who was looking up at him apprehensively. "You say you don't remember taking your cloak, leaving the school and going into the forest…fine. Do you remember anything that happened while you were on your way upstairs? Did you see anyone? Talk to anyone even?"

"No," Hadley replied quietly, barely shaking her head.

"So…what then…you just, blacked out?" Troy prodded.

"I…yes…" Hadley nodded weakly. "I remember feeling a little dizzy…"

"A little dizzy, okay," Troy repeated, before looking up and addressing McGonagall. "That, to me, makes it sound as if someone inside the school cursed Hadley…or hexed her…in order for her to, I assume, do as they wanted. Now my confusion is this…Hogwarts is extremely well guarded, far more so now then ever before. It's impossible for an intruder to get in. But, let's say one did manage to make it inside. If they were after Hadley, why wouldn't they simply finish her off then and there? Why send her outside and into the forest…stopping back to get her cloak first, of course…and then lead her to the dementors?"

"Who's to say that's what happened at all?" Harry spoke up icily. "We can't just assume…"

"Exactly my point," Troy cut him off, darkly. "In all actuality, I think there's a strong possibility that this was all a trick someone tried to get to you…"

"Well then why do you seem to care so much?" Harry asked fiercely.

"That's enough!" Madam Pomfrey's voice cried out as she strode briskly towards them. "This poor girl needs rest and the two of you screaming at each other isn't helping anything!"

Harry lowered his gaze, only now realizing how loud he'd been speaking.

"Professor," Pomfrey continued, a more calm tone to her voice as she looked down on him. "I must insist on having a look at those wounds…"

"Just a few more minutes," Harry said quietly, before turning his gaze on McGonagall.

"Harry," the headmistress began, looking pointedly at him. "You can't keep…"

"I swear this is the last time, I'll go with Poppy soon," Harry said hurriedly.

"Fine," Madam Pomfrey spoke up curtly. "But no more questioning for young Miss Thurnes tonight," she said quickly, stepping past Harry and over to the side of the bed. McGonagall didn't argue, as she too obviously thought this to be a good idea, and watched as Pomfrey handed Hadley the cup she'd been holding.

"Drink all of that dear," she said soothingly.

Hadley simply nodded, looking quite relieved that the discussion would be ending, and raised the cup to her lips. Harry watched as she began to sip it down, barely making it halfway through the potion before her eyelids began to droop. Poppy reached out quickly, catching the cup as Hadley's arm fell to the bed sheets, and tucked the now softly sleeping girl in, before turning away.

"Next time I come back it's your turn, Harry," Pomfrey said pointedly as she started to walk away. Harry looked after her for a brief moment, before turning immediately back to McGonagall.

"Professor, it's obvious Hadley's in danger," he began seriously. "we need to find out who…"

"In danger?" Troy interrupted, sounding ready to laugh. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Yes, and it didn't seem to make much sense," Harry said darkly.

"Then let me explain it clearly," Troy snapped. "I believe it's possible, that earlier this evening Hadley left her common room with no intention of going to your office. She took her cloak and left the school, heading for the dark forest. You happened to see her, and followed. Now when she realized you were after her, she started to panic…why? Because she was meeting someone in the forest, and I'd be willing to bet that person works for Voldemort. But if you were to see her with this person, that's the end for her, she can no longer be a useful spy. So she made sure to keep ahead of you, warning the person that you were there, and staging that dementor attack so it appeared to you that she was just an innocent victim. No one went after you because they didn't expect you to be there, they weren't prepared. But surely you're the person Hadley is here to watch. Now she knows she'll have to find another way…"

"No," Harry interrupted. "There's no way what you're saying is true."

"And why not?" Troy asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"For one thing, if Hadley were a spy and she was out in the forest to meet with one of Voldemort's followers, do you really think she'd choose the one night she has detention to do it? She'd know I'd come looking for her…"

"Thurnes has detention quite often," Troy spoke up. "It must be hard for her to find a night when she doesn't, thanks to her disruptive behavior."

"Even still, there's no way that's what happened," Harry insisted, his tone becoming grave as he went on. "You didn't see her in the forest…the look in her eyes. She was beyond terrified…and I don't believe she could simply fake that emotion…especially in the short amount of time she had before I caught up with her."

"I think you're underestimating the power some of the dark lord's servants have," Troy spoke up crisply.

"And I think you're basing your entire theory on a cloak," Harry snapped back.

"Both of you, calm down," Minerva cut in, looking exasperated, obviously sick of the arguing. "Now we are not going to decide who is responsible for tonight's events using the precious little Hadley was able to tell us and guessing the rest. I'm reporting what we know to Albus first thing in the morning. The only thing we can do at this time, and it is for Professor Snape to decide, is if Hadley should receive any punishment for this."

Harry looked over towards the potions master at once, realizing suddenly that Snape had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the entire discussion thus far.

"I see no reason to punish Miss Thurnes at this time, headmistress," Snape said evenly. "Until we know more, I believe her explanation, and it seems she had no knowledge of her actions. I can't very well deduct points or give detention for that…if we find, however, that it was another student who did this to her…" he trailed off, darkly.

"Very well," Minerva replied, satisfied with Snape's decision. Harry sighed inaudibly at hearing this; glad to know Hadley wasn't in trouble. Nothing that anyone said would convince him Hadley knew of the dementors' presence that evening, he would never forget the look in her eyes.

"Severus," Troy spoke up then, sounding somewhat uncertain. "I hope you understand, when I suggested Hadley might be a spy…"

"No need for an apology, Troy," Snape interrupted curtly. "I'm afraid we all have to be suspicious these days. If any student in my house were passing information to Voldemort or another outside source in some way I would want to know immediately."

"Harry," Pomfrey's voice floated over to him as she made her way towards the group yet again. "I must insist that…"

"Alright, I know…" Harry nodded, having no excuses left.

"I should be getting back to my office as well," Snape said quietly, standing up suddenly. "Minerva," he continued, nodding to the headmistress. "Please keep me informed as to what the ministry discovers regarding this incident."

"I intend to Severus. Good night," McGonagall replied quietly. Troy said goodnight to the headmistress as well, though both he and Snape ignored Harry entirely, before turning away and heading for the exit.

"He was certainly quiet tonight," Harry mused as Poppy helped him out of the chair. He winced faintly, however, as the stinging in his ankles ran up his legs, and was greatly relieved to sit down upon the nearest bed. Now that he was thinking about his injuries, he felt the pain much more.

"Just relax Harry," Poppy said gently, but looking worriedly at the small punctures surrounding Harry's waist as she lifted his shirt.

"Severus?" McGonagall asked in response to Harry's comment, an amused grin on her lips. "Yes, I'm sure he was at a loss for words."

"But…why?" Harry asked, confused.

"Because Severus would have normally been doing exactly what you did for Hadley. He defends the students of his house, no matter what. The fact that you were doing it for him probably took him off guard."

"So because he couldn't argue with me he didn't say anything?" Harry chuckled. "Nice of him. Though if I'd said what Troy had I would be willing to bet everything he never would have sat there in silence."

"And I wouldn't bet against you," McGonagall said with a short nod, before stepping closer to where Harry lay, as Madam Pomfrey scurried about checking for any scrapes and bruises she might have overlooked. "How is he Poppy?"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh before meeting Harry's eyes.

"Did you run through the dark forest with a blindfold on, Mr. Potter?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That probably would have hurt much less," Harry joked, but inhaling sharply as Pomfrey gently inspected a particularly dark bruise on his chest.

"Well it's obvious you've encountered a Leech Tree," Poppy said absently, going back to the tiny punctures. "You've lost some blood, but nothing too serious, thankfully," she said, then looked down at his ankles. "Try not to move much, I'll be right back," she continued, looking up at Harry briefly before starting across the room towards the many cabinets that held various medicines and antidotes.

Harry followed her progress for a moment, before turning his gaze upon Minerva, who was waiting off to the side, wanting to be sure Harry was alright before leaving.

"I meant what I was saying before," he began softly. "I believe Hadley is innocent…and that someone is after her…but I don't know why."

"That is what I believe as well, Harry," McGonagall nodded faintly. "However just as I told Troy…I'm not going to assume anything. The ministry can investigate this further…we will see what comes of it."

"Do you think there's any chance of them figuring out who that man was?" Harry asked.

"I hope there is," she replied quietly. The dark forest has only one Leech Tree, and if you were past it then that means you were also past the apparation barrier. But for now, at least, it doesn't seem as though they've gotten inside the school."

"Haven't they though?" Harry asked. "Someone got to Hadley…they must've. Why else wouldn't she remember anything?"

"There are, unfortunately, a great many ways to modify someone's memory, or erase it. Without knowing more, there's no way to say for certain if someone did indeed manage to get into the school without our knowledge."

"I have to ask you something," Harry said suddenly, his tone very grim. McGonagall gave a brief nod, waiting. "After what happened tonight, I would very much like to teach the students the Patronus Charm."

"Harry, that's far too advanced," McGonagall said immediately. "Even the most skilled wizards…"

"I know many of them might never come close to performing the charm correctly," Harry interrupted solemnly. "I remember how Remus made sure I was aware of just that when I started out as well. But if any of them are able to learn it then it's worth it. The dementors were here tonight because someone wanted them to get Hadley. If that same someone decides to try again, or if Hadley isn't the only target…I'd just feel better knowing that they would have some chance of defending themselves…" he trailed off, looking earnestly up at Minerva.

"So, if I were to agree to this," McGonagall started slowly. "How would you go about with the lessons? Would you be stopping your current lessons for all the students? Because that would take all year for some classes…and learning the Patronus Charm cannot be the only lesson…"

"I wouldn't stop the current lessons for the rest of the year, no," Harry said quickly. "I would stop them for two or three weeks, and after that the students that show they've got a good chance at learning it, or those that want to work on it further, can come to me for extra help. I'll set up a schedule for when classes are out, once a week…and anyone that wants to can come."

McGonagall seemed to consider what Harry had said, an intent gleam in her steely eyes.

"I want you to understand," she started evenly, "I do not like the idea of trying to teach the children this particular charm, especially when many of them are not nearly powerful enough yet to be successful in performing it. But…since it won't, in any sense of the word, harm them to attempt the charm, and since I do believe your point is valid, you may begin teaching the students how to create a Patronus. No more then three weeks of class time is to be used though, that is all I ask."

"Thank you, Minerva," Harry nodded gratefully, feeling relief swell within him. He hoped that once the ministry was notified of what had happened, something would be done to keep the dementors from ever entering school grounds again, but until then, he was going to make sure the students had a chance at defending themselves, should it become necessary.

"Alright Harry," Poppy's voice floated over to him as she strode back towards his bed. "We'll need to put this on the pricks you received," she said, holding up a blue cream. "And you'll need this for the rest of your bruises, and this is to get rid of any infection…" she continued, while placing several more bottles on the table beside the bed.

"Well it seems that you'll live through this," Minerva said with a tiny grin as Poppy began applying the first cream to Harry's wounds. "Good night Poppy, Harry. See you in the morning."

They both said their goodnights as well, and Harry watched as McGonagall made her way back across the hospital wing, before turning his attention back to Madam Pomfrey. Nearly a half hour had passed before the nursemaid was finished with the various medicines that Harry needed, but at long last, she gathered up her things to return them to the large cabinets.

"Thank you Poppy," Harry said, starting to slide off the bed.

"No you don't Harry. I want you here tonight," Poppy said in a very no-nonsense tone seeing him starting to leave.

"But I'm fine," Harry protested. "What does it matter where I sleep?"

"I want you in the hospital wing just so I can be sure…"

"Poppy, really…it isn't necessary," Harry said quickly. "If I need to take anything else, I will…but I don't want to spend tonight in the hospital wing."

"Let's see you stand, Harry," Poppy said curtly, giving him a pointed stare.

Harry hesitated a moment. He didn't feel any pain in his legs…so he began to slide slowly towards the edge of the bed dropping his legs over the side to where his feet softly touched the floor. But the second he put his weight on them, the pain fired up in his ankles, and he winced sharply, pulling himself back into the bed.

"The effects of the Leech Tree get worse before they get better, Harry," Madam Pomfrey explained flatly. "Now I want you to stay off your feet for the next eight hours…it's the only way you'll heal. The medicine will prevent you from feeling any of the pain so long as you don't push yourself by putting weight on your ankles. Understood?"

Harry nodded faintly and watched as Madam Pomfrey moved quickly back across the room to put the medicine away. He leant back against the pillows with a sigh.

"Not even a student anymore and somehow I always manage to spend at least one night in here…" he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

As he sat back up, looking around briefly, his eyes fell upon Hadley's sleeping form in the bed just beside his, and he couldn't help but feel worried for her. Who had wanted her dead? Or out of the way, at least. And why? Did she know something she wasn't supposed to? Or was there another reason? But no matter how many questions raced through his head, Harry kept coming back to one name.

Voldemort.

Who else would the dementors obey without fail? Harry had never heard of any other wizard having such control over them. Even the ministry seemed to have fairly little hold over the strange, sinister beings. However, if it was Voldemort, what did he have against Hadley? The dark lord only returned just over three years ago, when Hadley would have been around 8 years old. What could she have possibly done in that time to make Voldemort come after her?

"Here Harry," Madam Pomfrey's voice cut through his thoughts as she came back around to the side of his bed. "You should get out of those clothes now, I brought you some night clothes."

"Alright," Harry nodded absently. "Thank you Poppy."

"Do you need me to…" she began.

"I can get changed by myself," Harry laughed lightly, realizing what she'd been about to ask.

"Very well, just please do it soon," Pomfrey said quickly, setting the cup she'd been holding down on the bedside table. "When you're finished I want you to drink this right away, so you get your rest."

"Poppy, I know…I've got it," Harry laughed. "Don't worry. I'm a professional at this now."

"And sadly, you're telling the truth," Pomfrey replied, shaking her head. "Alright, I'm going…but I'll be back to check on you later, so please…get some rest."

"Good night Poppy," Harry said softly as the nursemaid walked back across the room. After another moment, he sighed inaudibly, and for the first time really looked himself over.

Bruises were covering his arms and chest, but they were fading noticeably as the seconds ticked by, thanks to the medicine. The miniscule puncture wounds around his middle were bright red, standing out harshly against his pale skin, but he thankfully couldn't feel any pain from them anymore, so long as he didn't touch them.

Moving gently and pulling his feet forward, Harry started to get changed, making sure not to put any weight on his ankles as he did so. He tossed the bloody, dirty garments in the general direction of the nearby closet, before lying back against the pillows, wide awake. After another moment, he reached over to the sleeping potion on the table beside him, intending to drink it down quickly, when he heard Hadley let out a soft moan.

Glancing over towards her once more, he saw her eyes fluttering open, the look in them one of confusion and fear.

"Hadley?" Harry called out softly.

The small girl's head turned sharply in his direction, a suspicious glint in her eyes, but it immediately eased when she realized who it was.

"Hello professor," she said quietly.

"Are you alright?" he asked, wondering if he should call Madam Pomfrey back over.

"I'm fine," she nodded stiffly.

Harry nodded softly as the girl looked away, her eyes taking in the room around her.

"I think you musn't have gotten enough of the potion before," Harry said quietly, gesturing towards the bottle Madam Pomfrey had left by Hadley's bedside. "You should probably finish that off…"

Hadley glanced at the sleeping potion hesitantly before looking back to Harry.

"Do I have to?" she asked apprehensively.

Harry was speechless for a brief moment, not expecting that to be the young girl's reply, before finding his voice again.

"Is there a reason you wouldn't want to?" he inquired softly.

"I just…I…I'd rather be awake right now," she replied quietly. Harry looked into her fiercely blue eyes, seeing the smallest hint of fear in them.

"Do you want to talk?" he asked gently, feeling he knew exactly why she was afraid. What eleven-year-old wouldn't be after being attacked by dementors?

"What do we have to talk about?" Hadley asked curtly, her eyes now fixed on her fidgeting hands.

"Nothing, if you don't want to," Harry replied. He watched her for a few more minutes as she stared around the room, looking at anything besides him, before he came to a sudden decision and began sliding slowly towards the edge of the bed.

Bracing himself, he let his feet touch the floor, feeling the pain burning in his ankles the moment he put his weight down. Feeling his knees start to buckle, Harry forced himself forward, making a fierce grab for the chair a few feet in front of him and catching its back. He stood for a moment, his breathing heavy, and slowly edged around until he was able to lower himself into the soft seat.

"Why can't you walk right?" Hadley asked quietly, a confused expression on her face as Harry looked up to meet her gaze.

"It's nothing…you need…to worry about," Harry managed to get out between deep breaths. He sat there in silence a moment more, feeling Hadley's eyes upon him while he regained his composure.

"Sorry about that, didn't mean to scare you," Harry said at last, sitting forward in the chair.

"You didn't," Hadley replied simply.

Harry had to stifle a laugh, not sure if he should be insulted by her bluntness.

"Alright, well then enough about me," he said with a grin before growing serious. "How are you? Is there anything you need?"

"I'm fine," Hadley replied quietly.

"Yeah, you said that before," Harry said knowingly. "Is it the truth?"

Hadley dropped her gaze quickly, giving no indication that she intended to reply. Harry sat in silence beside her, not sure if he should prod her for more, or try to get her to drink the rest of her potion, when she spoke up delicately.

"What did those things want?" she asked. "Why were they after me?"

Harry shook his head slowly.

"I wish I knew…" he replied quietly, trailing off as he saw small tearstains appearing on the sheets. He reached out, gently placing his fingers under Hadley's chin and lifting her face.

"Hadley…oh Hadley it's okay!" he insisted, soothingly, taking both of her hands in his. "You're safe now, they can't get you."

"But w-what did they want?" she sobbed quietly. "W-Were they going to k-kill me?" she asked, the tears coming harder now.

Harry pushed himself up from the chair quickly and grabbed hold of the bed tightly, slipping upon it and moving back against the headboard until he was next to Hadley. He put his arms around the tiny girl, letting her sob against him, letting out her grief and fear.

"Don't worry about it anymore," he whispered soothingly. "You're safe. I promise you I won't let anyone get to you. Never."

Hadley didn't reply, she simply wept, pressing her face into his chest. Harry felt a surge of anger at what had been done to the poor girl. She was shivering in his arms, obviously scared out of her mind, and having no idea why she'd been put through this horror.

Harry didn't try to make her talk any more; he didn't want to upset her any further. As the minutes ticked by, her sobs grew softer, and soon she was breathing deeply, sleeping soundly against him.

Letting out a tired sigh, Harry leant his head back against the headboard, not wanting to move for fear of waking her. Hadley was in need of sleep, and he wasn't going to disturb her for anything.

Harry went over the events of the evening again and again in his mind, coming up with no answers, but at long last, he felt his eyelids begin to droop, and all of his thoughts slipped away.

It felt as if he were only asleep a few moments, but when Harry next opened his eyes the sun was streaming through the window beside the bed. He raised his head slowly, inhaling sharply as he felt a pinch in his neck and realizing immediately it was stiff. It was then, however, that he realized exactly what had woken him.

Hadley was squirming on the bed beside him, moaning and thrashing about in her sleep. Harry sat up quickly, gently lifting the small girl in his arms.

"Hadley," he said, whispering urgently. "Hadley, come on…wake up," he said softly.

For a moment there was no response, and Harry opened his mouth to try again, when suddenly Hadley's eyes sprung open, and she looked terrified.

"Hadley! What is it, what's…?" he began, but trailed off as the small girl continued to wriggle around, trying to push Harry away from her and whimpering in her efforts.

Harry didn't know if she was still dreaming or not, but he drew his hands back in hopes that she would calm down easier.

Hadley stopped moving at once, breathing heavily from her struggling, her head hanging limply on her neck.

Harry sat motionless beside her, not knowing if he should move or speak, and not wanting to frighten the girl by doing either, when she slowly began to raise her eyes to meet his.

"Sorry," she breathed quietly. "I was…I-I…it was…a nightmare…" she stammered.

"It's alright now," Harry said gently. "You're safe."

Hadley nodded faintly, and looked away at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Good morning," Madam Pomfrey said curtly as she made her way to the side of the bed. "I imagine you'll be needing this, professor," she said, looking pointedly at Harry as she dipped her fingers in a jar of cream and applied it to the back of his neck. The pinching sensation dissipated immediately and Harry grinned sheepishly at the nursemaid.

"I saw you in Miss Thurnes' bed last night and had a very strong feeling you'd be needing this," she said knowingly.

"Thank you Poppy," Harry nodded.

"Can I go back to my room now?" Hadley piped up eagerly, her hopeful eyes fixed on Madam Pomfrey.

"How are you feeling?" Madam Pomfrey asked evenly, placing the jar she'd been holding down on the bedside table.

"Fine," Hadley nodded quickly.

"Well I still need to look you over once more," Poppy said gently, smiling at the girl's anxiousness. "But I'm sure you'll be able to go back to your dormitory today, yes."

"I'll just get out of your way then…" Harry trailed off, sliding forward.

"Hold on just one moment, professor," Madam Pomfrey spoke up, pointedly. "I want you to wait over on that bed right there, and after I've finished with Miss Thurnes, I'll need to have another look at you."

"It's really not necessary," Harry began, lowering himself gingerly over the edge of the bed and feeling greatly relieved when no pain resurfaced in his ankles.

"Sit," Poppy replied firmly, gesturing towards the closest bed.

"Yes ma'am," Harry sighed with a laugh, knowing it was pointless to argue.

The wait wasn't long, and nearly fifteen minutes after Madam Pomfrey had drawn the curtains around Hadley's bed, they reopened, and the small, eager girl slid happily to the floor, starting immediately for the exit.

"Don't run!" Madam Pomfrey called after her before turning to face Harry, rolling her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that," Harry joked, then nodded towards Hadley. "I'm on her side. Can't blame her for running."

"You're supposed to be setting a good example for the students, you know," Poppy spoke witheringly.

"Do you see any students here?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"Let's have a look at that stomach injury again, shall we?" Madam Pomfrey said, rolling her eyes once more in exasperation, before starting her routine examination yet again.

"So Hadley's alright then?" Harry asked after a few moments.

"Physically she's fine," Madam Pomfrey nodded absently, concentrating on the exam.

"She had a nightmare last night," Harry said softly.

"That's certainly not surprising," Poppy said quickly. "What child wouldn't after that ordeal? I take it that's why you were in her bed? I considered waking you, but decided against it."

"Well, I went over with her because she woke up, and she was scared," Harry explained, "but the nightmare came later. She was thrashing about and moaning in her sleep, and when I tried to shake her awake…I'm not sure…I think she might have still been dreaming for a moment because she tried to get away…but settled down as soon as I let her go."

"I see," Madam Pomfrey nodded, at last finishing her check-up and standing up straight. "Truly I don't think there's anything to worry about. I would bet that young Miss Thurnes will have a few restless nights after this. We will just have to watch her, make sure she still eats enough and resumes her classes as normal. There is no way to know how a child…or an adult for that matter, will handle something like this. Each case is different."

"Yeah, I guess you're right Poppy," Harry nodded faintly. "Thank you."

"You just remember to watch out for yourself as well," Poppy said quietly. "Now go on, get changed. I'm sure you don't want to be here any longer…"

Which was the truth; Harry quickly drew the curtains around his bed after the nursemaid had walked away, and threw on his now wrinkled clothes from the day before. He left the hospital wing and walked swiftly through the corridors, his wounds now completely healed.

After making his way back upstairs, Harry washed up quickly and threw on a fresh set of clothes, before setting off again into the halls. He wanted to speak with Minerva as soon as possible, to see if she'd contacted the ministry yet, and find out what their response had been.

When he reached the stone gargoyle that had once been the entryway to Dumbledore's office, Harry came to a stop.

"Honey berries," he said with a small grin. McGonagall had decided to keep with the tradition of giving this particular office a password that consisted of something sweet. As the statue slid aside, Harry made his way up the stairs to the next doorway and knocked lightly.

"Come in," Minerva's voice called out softly. Harry pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Oh, good morning Harry. Did you sleep well?" the headmistress asked pleasantly from where she was seated at the large desk. The room, while having the same set up as it had when Dumbledore was there, looked quite different. There were new paintings and wall hangings. The candles were placed around the room in a different pattern, and most noticeably, Fawkes' perch was no longer there.

"Fine, thank you," Harry replied politely, lowering himself into a seat as the headmistress motioned for him to do so. "I'm sorry to bother you, Minerva. I was just wondering if you'd gotten a chance to contact the ministry yet."

"I spoke with Albus this morning, actually," McGonagall replied with a nod. "He was, of course, just as shocked as we were to hear of dementors so close to the school. He unfortunately cannot make it here himself today, but he's sending several ministers shortly. They'll want to speak with you and Hadley about what happened before beginning their investigation."

"Of course," Harry nodded, wanting to do anything he could to help. "But, do they really need to question Hadley? She's been through so much…and I can tell them what happened…"

"I would prefer not to put her through this again as well, Harry. But unfortunately, I don't have a say in this. The ministry will need to speak with both of you, today. Once it is decided there is to be an official investigation, everyone must be questioned."

"I understand," Harry nodded slowly, but hating it just the same. "Would you like me to get Hadley?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Minerva replied, shaking her head quickly. "I've already informed Severus…he should be here with her soon. Now what about you? The ministers should be here any minute…are you feeling up to this?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine, honestly," Harry assured her quickly.

"Very good,' McGonagall nodded, and looking up as the door to the office swung open yet again. Hadley walked slowly in, a sour expression on her face, with Snape close behind her.

"Good morning Miss Thurnes," Minerva spoke pointedly.

"Morning," Hadley replied dully, before looking up at the headmistress, and continuing. "Do we have to talk about this again?" she asked, a slight whine in her tone.

"Yes, I'm afraid we do," the headmistress replied evenly, "and I'm very sorry for that, but it is necessary. Now please, have a seat."

Hadley trudged over to the nearest empty chair and let herself fall into it with a huff. Snape watched his student with one eyebrow arched during the brief conversation, before taking his seat as well.

"When are we expecting the ministers, headmistress?" he asked quietly.

"Albus told me that he'd be sending someone immediately to speak with Miss Thurnes and Professor Potter, then after that, several more ministers will be arriving to begin their search of the school and the forest."

"But, how will searching the forest help?" Harry asked. "I'm sure the dementors and whoever that man was wouldn't just wait around for someone to find them…"

"Dementors have been known to leave a magical residue behind when they attempt to administer the kiss, Potter," Snape spoke up, as if the answer should be obvious. "They might be able to trace it, find out if the intruders are still nearby, or if they've fled."

"Oh," Harry replied faintly, and opened his mouth to speak again, but never got the chance. The fire in the hearth suddenly turned a bright green, as the first of the ministers arrived.


	6. Chapter 6

As the flames died down, Harry had to stifle a groan when he saw Marshall Thurston step out of the hearth and into the office. Why in the world would Dumbledore ask him to come, of all the ministers?

"Good morning, Minerva," Thurston began, his tone quite pleasant as he crossed to the headmistress' desk. "Sorry for the delay in my arrival. Albus was terribly busy with several important matters that couldn't be put off, so I volunteered to come, to begin this investigation. Others will be arriving soon, I assure you, and the school grounds will be thoroughly searched."

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Thurston," McGonagall nodded curtly, before gesturing towards the closest chair. "Please, have a seat."

"Yes, yes…now," Thurston said after clearing his throat softly, barely glancing at either Snape or Harry. He turned his gaze towards where Hadley was sitting, her eyes fixed on her feet, which were swinging back and forth beneath her chair. "Miss Thurnes?" he asked, his tone demanding her attention at once.

Hadley simply raised her head, a bored expression on her face. Harry let a small grin cross his lips. It appeared Hadley was already back to her normal self, and he wouldn't mind one bit if she gave Thurston a hard time.

"My name is Mr. Thurston, and I need to ask you a few questions," he continued stiffly.

Hadley shrugged as if she couldn't care less, and simply sat in silence, waiting, her gaze drifting around the room slowly.

"Miss Thurnes this is a serious matter," Thurston spoke up fiercely. "Now if you'll pay attention please. Tell me what happened last night…what made the dementors attack you?"

"Mr. Thurston," Snape began, quietly.

But Thurston merely held up a stiff hand, gesturing for the potions master to remain silent. Harry could almost see Snape's blood boiling at this, and honestly couldn't blame him. Hadley might not be the most well-mannered student, but Thurston had no right to treat her so rudely.

"If I knew, I'd tell you," Hadley said quietly, looking momentarily into the thin minister's eyes before lowering her gaze once more.

"That I don't believe," Thurston said snidely. "How is it that you have no idea…?"

"Mr. Thurston, there's no need…" Snape began again, angrily.

"Severus, I'll thank you to be quiet and let me do my job," Thurston said fiercely, his eyes flashing.

Snape's own eyes narrowed at the minister's words, and he crossed his hands over his chest, glowering darkly at Thurston.

"As I was saying," Thurston went on, heatedly. "I think it is possible, as Professor McGonagall explained to Albus earlier, that someone was able to curse you, forcing you unknowingly out into the forest…but there must be a reason. You must know what you did to…"

"I didn't do anything, alright?" Hadley shouted suddenly, an insulted gleam in her eyes. "I don't know why they would…"

"Miss Thurnes I won't stand for…" Thurston began.

"Thurston…" Snape started again, loudly, but this time Harry could no longer remain silent, and spoke up fiercely.

"Mr. Thurston, Hadley said she doesn't know why the dementors went after her…why are you so sure she must be lying? She's had a very frightening experience and you aren't helping matters any by yelling at her! Now if you want to talk, to ask questions that might really help you find who did this, fine…but stop pressing Hadley for information that it's very obvious she doesn't have."

As he finished speaking, Harry drew in his breath, waiting for Thurston to get angry; to scream at him for interrupting…but it never came. Instead, the minister nodded faintly, his jaw set tightly as he looked back at Harry.

"Yes, you're quite right," he said quietly. "My apologies, Miss Thurnes. I only wanted…"

But he was cut off yet again, as the green flames rose up once more in the hearth. The other ministers began arriving one at a time. Harry recognized both Arthur and Percy Weasley in the group, along with Draco Malfoy. They were all wearing steely grey robes that hung lower than usual, with hoods drawn up over their heads. When the fire died down once again, just over a dozen ministers stood in the office. One of them stepped forward as Thurston rose from his seat.

"Albus wants to see you, immediately," the minister spoke up quietly as he neared Thurston. "He said you weren't…"

"Very well, very well," Thurston cut in hastily, intentionally cutting off the end of the man's sentence. "I just need to speak with Miss Thurnes about…"

"No Marshall, Albus asked for you to return now," the man said pointedly.

Harry watched the discussion with interest, getting the impression Thurston was not asked to come here at all today. The two ministers spoke in hushed tones for a moment longer, before Thurston at last headed back towards the hearth, throwing floo powder into the small blaze and stepping in.

Harry stood up as the ministers that had just arrived moved further into the office. He stepped forward, wanting to speak with Mr. Weasley, when Snape suddenly stood up as well, sharply cutting in front of him and blocking his way. Harry glanced up at him questioningly, to find Snape glaring darkly at him, his eyes narrowed.

"Never interrupt me when I'm speaking again, Potter," he hissed in a deadly silent voice. Then before Harry could even open his mouth to utter a reply, the potions master turned briskly away, his black robes billowing out behind him as he crossed to where McGonagall was speaking to the minister who'd told Thurston to leave.

"Harry, how are you?" came a familiar voice to his right. Harry had no time to even consider why Snape could possibly be angry with him for defending Hadley, as Arthur Weasley came walking towards him, Percy following just behind.

"Hello sir, I'm fine thank you," Harry replied with a smile. "I didn't realize you'd be coming."

"Yes well, Albus wanted everyone that had some knowledge of the school's layout and the surrounding grounds to be here, for a more effective search, of course," he replied.

"Of course," Harry repeated, then looked over Arthur's shoulder at Percy. "And how are you Percy?" he asked pleasantly.

"Very well, thank you," Percy replied, his eyes on the floor. Harry shook his head faintly, sighing inaudibly. Percy had been so horrified to hear of what he'd done last year, that ever since he couldn't even stand to look Harry in the eyes. With Ron it was even worse, and he would usually leave the room whenever his younger brother entered. He was ashamed of his actions, but Harry wished he wouldn't be. What had happened was beyond Percy's control.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad you came, no one knows this school better than you, I'm certain," Harry said, smiling reassuringly. "You took your duties as a prefect and head boy very seriously, and you really know the school well."

"Thank you," Percy nodded, blushing ever so slightly. But Harry could see the smallest of grins cross the older boy's face, and was glad for that at least.

"Now," Arthur began again, glancing towards where Hadley still sat silently before turning back to Harry. "If you're up to it, I'd like to ask you what happened last night. Albus explained everything as quickly as he could, but before we start, if I could just speak with you and…Miss Thurnes, is it?' he asked, gesturing towards the small girl.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "I'll tell you whatever you need to know…" he trailed off, glancing over his shoulder. "Hadley seems alright at the moment, but to be honest she doesn't seem to remember much at all."

"Okay, that's what Albus said as well," Arthur nodded. "Just tell me what you can for now, and I'll talk to her after."

Harry nodded, feeling quite comfortable with Mr. Weasley speaking to Hadley, knowing he'd never pressure the young girl. He explained as quickly as possible the events of the previous night, while the other ministers spoke with McGonagall and Snape about what area's they would be searching first, and how they planned on covering the grounds. When Harry finished, Arthur looked quite disturbed by the story, unable to believe that dementors had been sent after Hadley with seemingly no reason.

"Thank you Harry," he said gravely. "I'll only speak with Miss Thurnes briefly as I'm sure the others are about ready to begin our search."

Harry nodded at him, giving an appreciative smile, as both Weasleys crossed to wear Hadley was sitting. Harry watched as Arthur knelt down in front of her, speaking quietly with a gentle expression on his face, before another voice drew his attention away.

"Next time a student runs off into the forest how about you get someone else to go in after them?" Draco Malfoy drawled as he came to a halt near Harry. "Or at least wear something that guards your stomach…" he trailed off, holding his own stomach as if it pained him.

"If I'd had any time to notify someone else I would have, and besides we really don't have much in the way of protective gear here…hey!" he said with sudden realization, his eyes growing wide, and then narrowing immediately. "You knew I was hurt last night, didn't you?"

"Well it was either that or my cook needs to be fired for not preparing my dinner properly," Draco replied sneeringly.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Harry asked, incredulously.

"The pain stopped," he shrugged.

Harry stared at him in open-mouthed shock for a brief moment, before finding his voice again.

"Well wouldn't the pain have stopped if I were to have been killed as well?" Harry asked.

"No, I would have known if you died, trust me," Draco replied, looking suddenly serious. "If there's one thing that was a constant in those lessons, it was that. So please, don't go dying on me…" he trailed off with a sudden shudder.

"Well I don't exactly plan on it…" Harry began slowly, "but just out of curiosity…what happens to you if I do?"

"Something I don't ever want to experience," Draco replied quietly as the other ministers seemed to be gathering together, to begin their search. Arthur was already finished speaking with Hadley, who still looked as if she'd rather be anywhere else at the moment, and Draco started to turn away, to join the others.

"Hey wait," Harry said quickly, catching Malfoy's attention once more. There was one question he'd wanted to ask since the group of ministers had first arrived. "What's with the grey robes? Why are you all wearing them?"

"Well, we're going out into the forest," Draco replied in an obvious tone. "We need these to make it harder for anything out there to sense our presence."

"Oh," Harry replied as Draco turned away again, making his way towards the others. He stood where he was a moment longer, and watched quietly as the ministers filed quickly out of the office, to begin their search of the grounds.

Much to everyone's dismay, very little was discovered when at last the ministry's search was completed. They were able to find the clearing in which Hadley had been attacked, as well as evidence that the dementors were there, but nothing that led away from that spot. Nothing that could shed any light on who the mysterious man had been.

There was also no trace that anyone had been inside the school that wasn't supposed to be, which meant one of two things. Either someone had discovered a way to break into the school unnoticed, a task that would prove to be quite difficult after what had happened during the previous year. The protections around the school now were stronger than ever. Or the person who had cursed Hadley on her way to Harry's office had authorized access to the school, and therefore it was someone they thought they could trust.

When the ministers had reported back to Albus, he directly informed Minerva that this would not be the end of their investigation. They would find who had done this as quickly as possible, to ensure the school remained safe for the students.

The weekend ended and the days passed by slowly, with classes resuming as usual. Harry had decided to wait until November to begin lessons on the Patronus, so he could at least finish what each class was currently working on. Hadley acted in class as if nothing had happened, for which Harry had mixed feelings. It was wonderful that she didn't seem to be effected by the weekend's events, but at the same time, a break from her antics during lessons would have been nice.

Snape and Troy went back to pretending Harry didn't exist, something that he didn't mind at the moment. He had nothing to say to Troy after his outrageous accusations towards Hadley just after she'd been attacked, and made sure to keep a close eye on the transfiguration professor whenever he could. Harry could tell Troy was even less fond of Hadley then he'd previously been, and he didn't much care for the redhead's temper.

Soon enough, however, Halloween arrived, and with it, the first visit to Hogsmeade. Harry had told Minerva he'd be glad to go for the day, to be there in the event one of the students needed him. Several other professors would be going as well, while the rest would remain at the school to look after the first and second years…and any other student who would not be attending.

When the large group of students arrived in the bustling town, they immediately set off to explore. Harry noticed Ginny heading off with a group of her friends towards one of the many shops, as well as several other students he recognized heading every which way. The rest of the instructors set off towards the Three Broomsticks, chatting animatedly with one another, and for a moment, Harry considered joining them. But as they walked past the quidditch supply shop Harry couldn't help himself, he had to go inside.

The Moontrimmer 800 was displayed in the front window, now the official racing broom of the Quidditch World Cup, and Harry could only grin, knowing he had owned it first. As he walked through row upon row of shelves stocked with anything you could possibly need to clean, trim, polish, or refurbish your broom, as well as books on various maneuvers and techniques that were said to be surefire examples of how best to win your game, he began to feel a twinge of nostalgia. He missed playing quidditch, and a part of him envied Ron for doing what Harry had always wanted, playing for a professional team.

"Just one year," he said under his breath, as his eyes scanned everything around him. He hoped with all his heart that he could make it onto a professional team next season, anything so that he could play again.

The sound of faint laughter from nearby drew Harry out of his thoughts, however, and he glanced up to find a very familiar face staring back at him.

"I knew I'd find you in here."

"Mel!" Harry exclaimed happily, moving towards her at once and pulling her close for a brief moment. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh and I'm glad to see you too Harry," Mel replied jokingly as she backed away in the slightest, slipping her hands into his. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Of course I'm glad to see you!" he said quickly. "I just didn't expect it."

"And I hadn't planned on it," Mel countered. "But as it turned out, there wasn't enough to do at work today for me to stay on for the full shift, so I left early. I went to the school first but McGonagall told me you'd volunteered to come to Hogsmeade today. So of course, I knew exactly where to check first…"she trailed off, grinning widely.

"Well I'm glad you did," Harry replied, returning the smile. "So then, what shall we do?"

"Whatever you want," Mel shrugged cheerfully. "I don't want to change whatever plans you had…"

"Trust me, there were no plans," Harry laughed, releasing one of her hands as the two began to stroll around the shop. "I only came to get out of the school for a bit."

"That bad, huh?" Mel asked sympathetically.

"No, just…I'll explain later, alright?" he asked quietly, knowing he'd more than likely be explaining everything again at Ron and Hermione's later that night.

Mel nodded with a small grin, as Harry started to change directions, leading her towards the door.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"For a walk," he replied with a faint grin. The two made their way into the crisp fall air, the light wind wafting through their hair as they walked.

"Not stopping for any prank toys this year?" Mel asked playfully as they passed by Zonko's.

"I don't think so," Harry laughed. "Well, maybe just to annoy Troy…" he trailed off, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Not Snape?" Mel asked, surprised.

"Not until he stops hating me for being the dark arts professor, no," Harry said, shaking his head slowly. "Otherwise I'll be eighty years old before I get any more lessons on the crystals…"

"So Snape's still refusing to teach you then?" Mel asked, knowing the answer.

"Well he hasn't brought it up since we last talked about it…and I actually did plan on trying to speak with him about it again…but never got the chance…" he trailed off, not wanting to talk about it any longer.

They strolled side by side through the streets of Hogsmeade, admiring all the shops and stands they were so familiar with, not even realizing how quickly the time was passing as they talked about nothing in particular, and just enjoyed themselves, all the while keeping an eye out to make sure all of the students were alright.

"I can't believe it's almost four o'clock," Harry muttered softly as he glanced at his watch before slipping it back into his pocket. "We're invited to Ron and Hermione's once it's past five."

"What shall we do until then?" Mel asked with a smile.

"C'mon, I'll buy you a drink," Harry grinned, nodding at the Three Broomsticks which was only a short distance away, and starting off towards the entrance. Once inside, he released Mel's hand, and helped her remove her cloak, before taking off his own and hanging them up beside the doorway. They made their way through the dimly lit pub until they found an empty table and sat down.

"Two butterbeers," Harry said when the waitress immediately bustled over to take their order, before quickly hurrying off to get their drinks.

"So I wanted to ask you," he spoke quietly, turning to Mel once they were alone again. "Are you having any luck finding a new job…or have you decided to stop looking?"

"I don't know what I'm doing," Mel replied, shaking her head solemnly. "With my job, or with the house…"

"What do you mean with the house?" Harry asked, taken aback. "You're not having problems…I mean, you can afford it…right?" he asked, hesitantly, knowing if that was indeed the dilemma he would help her without question.

"No…I mean, yes…I can afford it. Or rather my parents can," Mel said quietly. "They've been making the payments ever since Jack couldn't…it was the only help he'd accept from them, because it wasn't magic and he had no place else to live otherwise. I just think…it's so big, I don't need all that space just for me…"

"But?" Harry prompted, feeling there was more that she wasn't saying.

"But I feel horrible selling it…it was Jack's home. He worked hard for it…I just don't think I can live there anymore…" Mel said, her voice quivering slightly. Harry reached across the table, taking her small hands in his and squeezing them reassuringly.

"It's alright…I'm fine," Mel said quickly, blinking fiercely and regaining her composure. "I really don't have any trouble when I'm out doing things, or at work…and even at home if I'm busy then it's not a problem…but if I let myself think about it…it just feels so…so…empty," she finished with a helpless shrug.

"If you feel you need to get away…even just for a little while, then do it Mel," Harry said gently. "I don't think it'd be an exaggeration to say you need it. Time let's the pain fade, but it's not always enough…a change would probably do you some good…"

"Maybe…" Mel nodded, trailing off as the waitress came back with their drinks.

"I'm sorry I brought it up," Harry said apologetically after another minute. "I didn't mean to upset you…"

"No, it's okay," Mel said, nodding faintly. "I'm glad you care enough to ask…" she trailed off, looking sad again, before continuing, her tone quieter still. "My parents act as if nothing's wrong…when they talk to me they're anxious to tell me about their lives and ask me about mine…but not if the discussion includes Jack. And since we never found a…a…" she hesitated, her eyes welling up, before she once again blinked back the tears. "We never found him…so they say he's fine…off on his own…and that's as much as they'll talk about it."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He hadn't realized her parents were treating the situation so casually, and his opinion of them lowered further still.

"C'mon," Harry said softly, taking Mel's hands again and pulling her gently to her feet. He wanted to get her out of this dark place and into the fresh air, and hopefully get these painful thoughts out of her mind for now at least.

"But you paid for those," Mel said, nodding at the drinks.

"It's alright, don't worry about it," Harry said with a tiny grin. "Besides, I have to make sure all the students are back at the gate…can't leave any stragglers, even if I wouldn't mind forgetting just a few…" he joked.

"Those wouldn't be my former housemates you're talking about, would it?" Mel asked, arching one eyebrow and smirking faintly.

"Er…here, let me help you with your coat," Harry said hastily, changing the subject.

"Maybe I should stop by one of your classes some day," Mel continued on, wrapping her scarf around her neck just before they both stepped out into the early evening air. "I could tell them all about you…" she trailed off, a hint of mischief in her eyes. Harry couldn't help but feel relieved that she was already looking much better.

"Ah…thank you for the offer, really I appreciate it," Harry said sardonically. "But I'm afraid I'll have to respectfully decline."

"I wasn't offering," Mel said playfully. "I was telling you…"

"Well now that I know you might stop by…I'll be sure to be ready," Harry countered, smiling innocently down at her. As he spoke, he reached a hand into his pocket, glancing again at his watch. "Okay, I just have to check that all the students are accounted for," he said, realizing there wasn't much time left. "Then we can head to Ron and Hermione's."

"Great," Mel smiled softly, "Let's go then."

Harry nodded, and began leading the way through the still crowded streets of Hogsmeade, the chilly night air whipping around their faces, as they headed back towards the platform.

After making sure every last student was on his or her way back to the school, Harry and Mel began walking slowly back through the town of Hogsmeade. As neither of them had ever been to Ron and Hermione's house before, they couldn't simply apparate to the front door, but by the address Ron had given him, Harry knew the house was quite close by, and the walk wouldn't be too long.

When they neared the end of the main drag, the crowd had greatly thinned out, as it always did just by the Shrieking Shack, but Harry barely spared it a glance as he and Mel passed by, continuing on their way past the last few shops and into the residential area of Hogsmeade.

They walked along in silence, simply enjoying one another's company, until Harry finally began to slow down, after having gone several blocks.

"Thimbleberry…this is their street," he said quietly, nodding up at the sign on the corner.

"Wow…I hope you know what number they're at…because I can't tell these apart…" Mel stated, as they set off down the long cobblestone road. The buildings on both sides of the street were all three stories high, the front of each covered in a layer of brilliant red bricks. There was an alleyway on either side of each building and a set of stairs leading up to the doorway.

"Yes, they're at number seven," Harry grinned, glancing up at the nearest doorway and seeing they were close. When they reached the fourth building on their left, Harry led Mel up the short stairway and pushed open the front door. The foyer that lay within was rather large, despite the thin appearance the building had from the outside. The walls were covered in a soft, shimmering wallpaper, catching the glints from a delicate chandelier that was just above them. There was a warm fire blazing in the hearth against the wall to their left, and Harry stepped up in front of it.

"Weasley," he stated clearly into the empty hall, hearing his voice echo back at him. After only seconds, the yellow orange flames before him turned a clear blue, and Ron's face could be seen in the blaze.

"Thought it'd be you two," the redhead smiled widely when he caught sight of his guests. "Come on in."

Ron's face faded quickly out of view, but the flames kept their blue color. Harry glanced sideways at Mel, taking her hand in his once more, before they stepped forward together, into the oversized grate. The moment both of their feet were in the hearth, the fire began to twirl around them in a whirlwind pattern, as they were gently lifted from the ground. Only seconds later, however, Harry felt the floor beneath his feet again, and led Mel out of the fireplace, and into his best friends' apartment.

"This is beautiful," Mel breathed, glancing wide-eyed around the room they were now standing in. Harry nodded in agreement, looking around as well. They were obviously in the living room, for only a few feet away there was a good-sized sitting area, consisting of a couch, love seat and armchair. The fabric looked to be suede and it was a light auburn color. In the center of the cluster, sitting on a light reddish-brown area rug, was a low to the ground mahogany coffee table, and on either side of the couch sat two end tables, each with a large bronze lamp on its surface. The hard wood floor beneath them was polished to a shine. The walls appeared almost white, with the barest tint of russet, and upon them hung an enormous mirror just above the hearth, and two scenic paintings, showing fall settings. The only other pieces of furniture in the room, were an antique grandfather's clock on the opposite wall from the hearth, and, to Harry's surprise, a rather large wood-framed television which the seating area seemed to be angled towards.

"Hey you two," Hermione said happily, as she and Ron both came into the room to greet their guests. "I'm so glad you made it," she grinned.

"Thank you for having us," Mel replied immediately. "Your house is gorgeous!" Harry couldn't help but smile at her excitement.

"Thank you," Hermione blushed modestly. "Would you like to see the rest of it?"

"Yes, please," Mel nodded at once. The two girls started off, with Harry and Ron close behind, taking a small tour of the apartment. The hunter green and white bathroom wasn't too big, but just one glance showed which side of the room was Hermione's and which was Ron's. There could have been an invisible line right down the center of the double sinks, similar to a 'before and after' advertisement. Hermione quickly apologized for the mess, throwing Ron a withering glare to which he rolled his eyes good-naturedly and gave Harry a sideways smirk.

The bedroom was relaxing just to stand in, with a soothing, soft blue on the walls, and on mostly everything else as well. The bed was covered in a deep azure comforter, and at least half a dozen throw pillows, each one a different shade of blue. The dresser, closet, shelves and bedside tables were similar to the walls of the living room, in that they were all white, but this time with a tint of navy in them. There was a pewter lamp on each table, and just off to the left from the doorway was a full-length mirror. The lavish rug covering the floor had almost a muted sapphire coloring to it, surprisingly, however, it didn't seem too much. All the many textures and shades blended beautifully and made the room feel peaceful and serene.

There was a guest room that wasn't done up yet, as well as a study, and finally, the group came to the kitchen, where just about every object was moving in one way or another. Dinner was preparing itself, and the aroma was so heavenly that Harry's mouth began to water.

"We don't have a dining room so we'll have to eat out here," Hermione said apologetically, gesturing towards the round table set off to one side of the room, covered with a lace tablecloth and surrounded by four sturdy wooden chairs.

"Out here will be perfect," Mel assured her with a smile. "Everything is just so lovely!"

"Especially since I see you've managed to keep Ron from hanging up any of his Chudley Cannons memorabilia," Harry joked, smirking at his best friend. Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed.   
"You wouldn't believe what he wanted to do with the bedroom," she said, shaking her head in mock horror. "The whole thing would have been that ugly orange color if I'd left it solely up to him," she said, waving her hand absently in Ron's direction.

"And if I'd left it up to her it would have been pink pastels," Ron countered, defensively, but unable to keep a small grin from showing through. "She can have her girly colors…but not in the bedroom…"

"Well I'm glad you ended up doing it the way you did, it really looks beautiful," Mel said again.

"Thank you," Hermione replied sincerely, before continuing. "We still have about an hour before dinner's ready…can I get either of you something to drink?" she asked. When both Harry and Mel declined, she went on. "Alright, come on into the living room then…Mel…I've haven't spoken to you in so long…how have you been?"

"Oh, you know…working and cleaning, same old boring stuff," Mel grinned and shrugged, not even hinting at what she had earlier revealed to Harry as the four friends lowered themselves onto the soft couches. "What about you? Are you enjoying your classes?" she said quickly, and Harry knew it was because she didn't want to talk about herself any longer. Hermione seemed to realize this as well, as a glint of understanding passed through her eyes, before she began to reply.

"Well I still don't have a definite major yet, but I'd have to say my favorite subject is Wizarding Law…it's so intriguing, I just get completely absorbed in it."

"Herm you'd get absorbed in a cookbook," Ron joked, earning him a pointed glare.

"At least I still read since after we graduated," she replied.

"I still read!" Ron cried in mock insult.

"I mean other than the scoreboard at quidditch matches…" Hermione shot back, smirking.

"Speaking of which," Mel broke in as Harry had decided to stay out of yet another argument between his friends. "How is quidditch going, Ron? I've barely been able to keep up with it this season…"

Ron quickly started telling Mel all that he had already told Harry during his visit to the school. His team wasn't doing too badly, and had only lost one of the four games they'd played thus far. They played every other week, usually on a Friday or Saturday, and the rest of the time was spent in grueling, intense eight-hour practices. The only thing he never brought up was the pay he received as a professional quidditch player, though Harry knew it was more than likely that Ron was making more money than his father ever did at the ministry.

"Alright Harry," Hermione spoke up after Ron had finished, "Your turn. Ron told me what happened when he was there a couple weeks ago…"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Harry asked, only half joking.

"Is it that bad?" Mel asked, a worried expression crossing her face. "It's not…it's not the Shadow Walkers, is it?" she added hastily.

"No, I haven't heard or seen anything from them at all since that first time," Harry replied, "Which is just fine with me. I guess Dumbledore was right…they must not be able to find me while I'm surrounded by so many other wizards."

"But that doesn't change the fact that they're more than likely still looking for you," Hermione spoke up quietly.

"I realize that," Harry nodded faintly. "What can I do though? I barely know anything about the Cult of Shadows, I haven't heard anything from Dumbledore to let me know that he's found anything either…and even though I know the crystals worked against them once…I'm forbidden to use them at the moment, as you all know…"

"Well then someone has to have a talk with the slimy git who's supposed to be helping you with the crystals and make him understand how important this is!" Ron spoke, angrily.

"Don't worry, I plan on it," Harry said calmly, but feeling the same anger that shown so clearly in his friend's eyes. Ron sighed with irritation, shaking his head, before speaking again.

"Alright, good enough for now, I suppose," he muttered, pausing a moment before going on, "Now what about Peeves and the Bloody Baron? Did you ever find out what was going on that day?"

"Peeves and the Bloody Baron?" Mel repeated, looking from Harry to Ron, questioningly. Harry started to explain quickly what had happened during Ron's visit to the school nearly two weeks ago.

"And you don't know what they wanted?" Mel asked, her eyes wide upon hearing the story.

"Not a clue," Harry shrugged. "Peeves was gone before we even saw the Baron…and he wouldn't answer me when I asked."

"It's just too odd," Hermione spoke up softly, her right arm bent up so that her hand rested on her chin, where her forefinger was tapping slowly, a look of concentration on her face.

"You're telling me," Harry snickered good-naturedly.

"No, I don't just mean that it's odd because they were near your office," Hermione said as she glanced up at Harry. "I mean it's odd because they weren't in your office."

"Okay, now you've lost me," Ron spoke up, looking at Hermione as if she had six eyes.

"Well, they're a ghost and a poltergeist, right?" Hermione began as if it should be obvious. "If they were looking for something inside Harry's office, why not just float through the door? Why would Peeves have to bang on it as if he were trying to get someone to come out…when he could have just gone in after them?"

"But there was no one there," Ron said.

"Well they obviously thought otherwise," Hermione replied.

"You're right," Harry said slowly. "I didn't even think of that before…why wouldn't they have gone in?"

"Maybe they're not allowed in the teachers' offices?" Mel suggested quietly.

"If that's so, I was never told…" Harry replied, "and besides I've seen Sir Nicholas in an office before…" he trailed off, shaking his head in confusion, before going on. "I guess I'll just try to talk to one of them again…next time I see them…"

"Did you tell McGonagall about it?" Hermione asked.

"No, I completely forgot about it by the time I saw her that night," Harry said quietly.

"Wow…was your detention with Hadley that bad?" Ron laughed.

"Bad is an understatement…and there was no detention," Harry replied, grimly.

"Why not?" Hermione asked, her expression clearly showing she was expecting the worst. For the second time since that night, Harry explained all that had happened from the moment he saw Hadley heading towards the forest, until the next morning when both he and the small girl were released from the hospital wing.

"McGonagall told Dumbledore everything…" Harry went on quickly, before any of his friends could find their voices to ask questions, explaining what had gone on during the meeting the next morning; including Thurston's seemingly unauthorized visit. "The ministry has already searched the school and forest, but came up empty," he finished.

"That's…that's so horrible," Mel whispered in shock. "Why would anyone find it necessary to send a dementor after that poor girl?"

"I think the only way we'd find out is by finding whoever that death eater in the forest was," Hermione said quietly.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Ron said, solemnly. "A tall man with a very strong grip whose face was hidden under the hood of his black cloak. That narrows it down…"

"Ron's right," Harry sighed darkly. "That man is the only person we know of that might possibly have the answers we're looking for, and I have nothing but a vague description of him to go by if I were to try and find him. Even if I did find him, I doubt he'd tell me anything…I have the strong impression he wasn't on our side…"

"But he did let you go," Mel said softly, "and in time to save Hadley as well…out of fairness…doesn't sound like any death eater I've ever heard of."

"Maybe he wasn't a death eater," Hermione said, but sounding as if she didn't entirely believe that.

"Right, just some guy in the dark forest who happens to be traveling with two dementors," Ron said, rolling his eyes at the suggestion. "He has to be a death eater."

"We don't know that though," Hermione countered. "Maybe he wasn't with the dementors…did you ever see him with them…?" she asked, turning her gaze back to Harry.

"No," he said after a brief moment. "He was standing right outside the clearing with me…just out of range to feel the effects of the dementors. They never looked in our direction until I used the Patronus Charm…and by then I doubt they could've seen him…but I have no idea where he went after he let me go."

Before anyone could utter another word, a loud, irritating, buzzing noise suddenly started blaring out at them from the kitchen. Hermione shot up from her seat and quickly started towards it.

"Dinner's just about ready," she said as she went. "We can continue the discussion in a bit…just give me a few minutes."

"I'll help you," Mel offered immediately, standing up and following Hermione, who quickly waved her wand to silence the annoying timer.

"And we'll wait here," Ron said, smirking at Harry and sitting back against the soft cushions as the two girls went about setting the table and taking the food out of the pots and pans, placing it into bowls and onto plates. Less than a minute had passed, however, when Hermione stuck her head back into the room from the doorway.

"Ron," she sighed, an exasperated edge to her tone.

"What?" he asked, sitting upright suddenly, immediately on the defense.

"There's no butterbeer in the refrigerator. I asked you to pick some up on your way home today…"

"Oh bugger," Ron muttered, sudden remembrance dawning in his eyes. "I'm sorry Herm, I really did mean to pick it up…it just slipped my mind…"

"Well you've got a few minutes…just run down to the corner and pick some up, alright?" she asked, turning and heading back into the kitchen.

"No, not to Steckler's place," Ron whined, his expression falling.

"It's just up the street," Hermione's voice floated in to him. "He's the closest one and you know he'll definitely have it."

"Yeah, only because nobody ever shops there…" Ron muttered, standing up with a sigh and looking at Harry. "Everyone hates Steckler," he said shaking his head gloomily and starting for the hearth.

"I'll go with you then," Harry said, calling out to the kitchen to let Mel and Hermione know he was going, before following Ron.

They arrived at the fireplace in the foyer only seconds later, and went through the doorway onto the quiet street. There was no noise other than that of the chilly breeze blowing around them, pushing their hair back from their faces.

"So who is Steckler and why does everyone hate him?" Harry asked, curiously as they walked.

"He's the paranoid owner of the small market on the corner," Ron said shaking his head in annoyance and pointing to the far end of the road. "I have no idea what his problem is, but he isn't friendly, he's always yelling at customers to hurry up and get out…and you can't even apparate there, he has an enchantment over the whole store that guards against it."

"That's insane," Harry commented, arching one eyebrow. "Maybe he was robbed and is trying to stop that from happening again?" he suggested.

"Maybe," Ron shrugged. "But whatever the reason I prefer to go elsewhere."

"Then I guess you better get a Remembrall for the next time Hermione asks you to bring something home," Harry joked.

"Shut up Harry," Ron laughed as they finally reached the small entrance to the shop. He grasped the door handle, pulling it open, just as a small, homely looking woman was about to step through. Both wizards stepped aside, allowing the lady in the tattered green cloak to pass by, before going into the store.

Harry had to stifle the sudden cough that was tickling his throat as the musty air filled his lungs. He didn't need to look around to see the store was not in good condition. There was a grate off to the left where at one time people probably used the floo network to arrive here, but now there was a pile of dirt and sludge where there should have been a fire. The shelves were stocked unevenly, and in some places not at all.

"Fourth time you've been in here today!" a scraggly looking old man from behind the front counter hissed maliciously at Ron. "I'm watching you boy!"

"Mr. Steckler I haven't been in here for over a week," Ron replied flatly, barely sparing the man a glance as he led Harry to the back of the store, to a large icebox in the corner.

"Here," he said, picking up the bottom half of a cardboard box from a pile of them beside the freezer and handing it to Harry. "Just hold that for me."

Harry nodded in reply, as Ron swung open the icebox and began pulling out tall glass bottles of the rich, golden liquid. He placed them hastily in the box bottom that Harry held, until they had a dozen, and could fit no more.

As the two men turned around, Harry caught sight of Steckler peering suspiciously down the aisle at them, before pulling his head hurriedly out of view, and scurrying back behind the counter.

When Harry and Ron reached the front of the shop only seconds later, they crossed to where Steckler stood, glaring at Ron, and Harry set the box down.

"What d'you need all those for?" the old man sneered, gesturing sharply at the bottles.

"To drink," Ron replied flatly, rolling his eyes. Steckler stared back at him, a snarl curling upon his thin, dry lips, but he didn't make any response. He threw the bottles carelessly into two thin bags, before thrusting them across to Ron, who was silently fuming.

"Six galleons," Steckler spat indignantly.

"What?" Ron exclaimed, angrily. "Last time it was two!"

"This time it's six," the old man grinned wickedly. Ron shook his head, glowering darkly and thrust his hand into the money sack under his cloak.

"Here Ron, let me get it," Harry said quietly, reaching for his own pouch.

The old man looked towards Harry for the first time since he'd entered the shop and opened his mouth to speak, stopping suddenly, however, as his eyes flickered up to Harry's forehead.

"No," Ron said firmly, flat out refusing Harry's offer.

"I wouldn't take his money anyway," Steckler said scornfully, tearing his gaze from Harry's scar just long enough to grab the six gold coins that Ron had slammed down on the counter, before looking back and meeting Harry's deep green eyes.

"Get out," he hissed. "I don't want you in here again, hear me? Not ever!"

Harry was taken aback by the man's words, not sure what he'd done to offend him, but had no chance to consider it as he felt himself being ushered out of the shop by Ron.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked as they began the walk back.

"Don't take it personal," Ron said lightly. "He's an irritable old man…and he said the same thing to me when I first went there as well…" he shrugged, trailing off as his eyes focused on something in front of them. Harry glanced up as well; to see the woman they had passed upon entering the store standing just a few feet away.

Her frayed green cloak was pulled tightly around her, the thin hood drawn up over her head. She was glancing all around, and Harry couldn't guess what she might be looking for, but just her stance alone made it seem as if she were afraid.

"Miss?" Ron asked softly as the two slowed to a halt. "Can we help you with something? Are you lost?"

The frail looking woman visibly stiffened at the sound of his voice, and she turned away without sparing them a glance, shuffling off in the opposite direction. Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances, and continued walking, trying to keep their distance from the woman, as it seemed they'd frightened her.

"Does she live around here?" Harry asked quietly.

"I don't know," Ron shrugged. "I didn't get a good look at her face…and even if I did I don't really know all of our neighbors yet-"

He cut off abruptly, coming to a sudden halt and taking a sharp breath as the sound of a weak yell filled the air. Harry and Ron looked up the road immediately to see the woman's head and arms poking out of a nearby alleyway, grasping frantically to the corner of the building.

"Looks like something's trying to pull her into the alley!" Harry said urgently, feeling a jolt of alarm stream through him. He and Ron hastily dropped the bags they were carrying and drew their wands, starting into a dead run towards the woman.

Harry and Ron were less than ten feet from the struggling woman, closing the gap quickly, when suddenly another arm reached out from the shadows, covering the woman's face as it pulled her into the dark passage. They heard a strangled cry, and then nothing as they put on a burst of speed, skidding to a stop at the alley's entrance and turning down it abruptly. They both came to a shocked halt, however, as their eyes fell upon the site before them.

Harry felt his jaw drop as he saw a tall woman in a dark cloak, with long, thick, matted black hair; forcing the smaller woman to her knees from behind; there was a distinctively blue tinge to the taller woman's pasty skin. The frail woman was weakly struggling and whimpering fearfully through some sort of black material that had been shoved into her mouth, while another identical, raven-haired woman stood in front of her, and took hold of her delicate wrists. She raised her other hand, reaching up and running her thin, spindly fingers through her knotted mane, before pulling it back, a tuft of black hair in her hand.

Staring in horror, Harry watching as the tangled tresses oozed off the taller woman's palm, covering the feeble wrists she held in her grasp and binding them together. He realized with a sickening churning in his gut what was in the smaller woman's mouth as well, and the gruesome thought seemed to snap him back to the present.

Lifting his wand with sudden determination, he aimed it at the closer of the two dark women, as neither of them had seen either him or Ron yet.

"Petrificus Totalis!" he cried fiercely, watching as the discharge from the tip of his wand directly hit its mark, and the raven-haired woman had no chance to react, before falling stiffly to the hard ground. His action snapped Ron out of the momentary trance as well, and both wizards turned quickly to the second woman, who was glaring at them with narrowed, white eyes, clearly enraged. The sound of ripping fabric filled their ears at once, as the furious woman seemed to arch her back. Suddenly her cloak bubbled out from behind her for a brief moment, and in the next instant, it burst open.

Harry's heart raced rapidly in his chest, and he heard Ron gasp in terror beside him, as he saw what looked to be eight, hairy spider legs now protruding from the dark woman's back. She snarled furiously, her teeth bared threateningly as she began to advance on them. Ron jumped back immediately, frantically raising his wand at the woman and crying out the words to perform the body bind, but she was ready. The curse splattered harmlessly against the wall of the building as the tall woman leapt suddenly into the air with such amazing speed and strength, that Harry and Ron lost sight of her.

"Where did she go?" Ron whispered, fearfully, glancing anxiously above them.

"I don't know," Harry replied grimly, scanning the area as well before lowering his gaze to the small woman who was still kneeling on the ground. With one more cautious glance above him, Harry stepped forward hastily, crossing the short distance and dropping to the hard stones beside the shivering woman.

"It's alright, we're going to get you out of here," Harry assured her, as the woman timidly raised her gaze to his. Tears streaked the sides of her face and her eyes shone bright with terror. Harry raised his hand gently towards her face, but she flinched away sharply.

"I swear I'm not going to hurt you," he said quietly, trying not to sound rushed but knowing they had to get out of there. His gaze flickered briefly down to the still form of the woman he'd petrified with the curse, before glancing back up. "I'm just going to take the gag out…" he continued, raising his hand again. She didn't pull away this time, and Harry took hold of the slick tangle of hair in her mouth. The thin ends were twisting lazily, and adhered themselves to Harry's fingers at the slightest touch. Feeling a wave of sickness rise in his throat that he quickly forced down, Harry wrenched back on the dark tuft, feeling the slick, sticky coating on his skin, and quickly swiped his hand along the rough cobblestones beneath him, scraping the hair off.

The small woman began coughing violently, her throat obviously raw from what had been done to her, and Harry held her steady for a moment, until the fit had subsided.

"Harry!" Ron hissed, still standing near the alley's entrance. "Hurry up!"

Harry nodded hastily, before turning his attention back to the woman. He gently took hold of her wrists, bound tightly with the web-like hair before raising his wand.

"Liquefacio," he said, watching as the bonds immediately began to dissolve, forming a foul smelling black puddle on the uneven ground.

"Come on," he said softly, getting ready to stand. "We have to get you-"

The sound of movement echoing through the passage caused Harry to cut off abruptly as he quickly searched the air above him, but could see nothing. The petite woman let out a small, frightened moan, visibly shaking as she raised her eyes, looking for the second dark-haired woman and taking short, panicked breaths.

Ron was trying to look everywhere at once, aiming his wand at anything that caught his eye. For a brief moment that felt like ages, no one made a sound, when suddenly a deadly, predatory snarl echoed through the dim passage.

"Lumos!" Ron yelled in trepidation, directing the beam above him and crying out in shock at the sight that met his eyes. He had been too slow, the spider-like creature had already started her attack, and before Ron could utter another word, he was forced painfully to the hard, stone ground as she landed directly on top of him.

"No!" Harry cried, immediately bringing his wand up, only to be shoved aside as the small woman pushed him out of her way in her frenzy to escape the dark alley. Harry straightened up to see the tattered green cloak billowing out from behind the petite woman, as she flew past Ron and the spider creature.

Aiming his wand again, Harry intended to stun the spider creature, only to find he couldn't. Ron had managed to push himself partially away from the dark woman, and the two were struggling against one another, recklessly rolling around on the cobblestones. Harry knew if he missed…if he hit Ron instead, the spider creature could get away again, and he might not be able to revive Ron in time before she made another attack. Ron's wand was still held tightly in his hand, but he was unable to use it as the woman was gripping his wrist fiercely. She gave him no chance to even attempt to reach for it with his other hand as she clawed frantically at his face and neck with her long, sharp fingers, while the black, hairy legs protruding from her back sought to hold him in place.

Cursing vehemently, Harry lowered his wand for a split second, knowing he'd have to get closer to help his friend and starting to rush forward, when something heavy smashed into him from behind, knocking the air out of him and slamming him to the hard ground. He tasted blood as his chin smacked into the stones beneath him, and his teeth clicked painfully together. He was dimly aware that he'd lost his grip on his wand as his vision blurred sickeningly in front of him and he was painfully forced around onto his back.

Harry lay stunned as the figure leaning over him swam in and out of view, while the sounds of Ron's struggle continued on just a short distance away, but he could barely hear it. His head was throbbing in agony, and he clenched his teeth in determination, knowing he couldn't allow himself to pass out. Suddenly he felt someone grasp his shirt just below his neck, before he was wrenched harshly to his feet. His vision was still somewhat blurry; thin trickles of sweat were stinging his eyes, but the figure was closer now, and he was staggered to see the dark-haired woman he'd paralyzed standing before him.

Harry barely had time to consider how she'd broken hold of the body bind so quickly, when he saw her raise her free hand to her hair, tearing out a thick tuft of it and pushing it at his face. Feeling an abrupt surge of adrenaline at the thought of the hair being put in his mouth, Harry lifted his arms, gripping the spider creature's hand still holding tightly to his clothes, and pulled on it with all of his remaining strength, twisting it violently.

An enraged shriek pierced through his aching head as Harry continued to fight against the raven-haired woman's relentless grasp. To his great relief, she had dropped the hair in her other hand, but the feeling was short-lived. She raised her arm, swiftly closing her long, thin fingers around his throat, and shoved him backwards. Harry felt a sharp pain as his back was slammed violently into the wall of the building behind him, but he had no time to be concerned about it. The woman was tightening her grasp on his neck, quickly and effectively cutting off his air. He had already released his hold on her other hand and was trying desperately to pry her fingers away from his throat. The sound of ripping fabric echoed once again through the alley, and in seconds, Harry could dimly see eight, dark legs protruding from this woman's back as well.

In an instant his grasp on her arm was broken, as the thick, hairy legs shot around from behind her, forcing his arms down and pinning them to the wall he was up against. He felt a thick wave of panic rising in his gut as he struggled to force air down his constricted throat, fighting weakly against the spider creature's grasp and barely resisting the urge to simply pass out as she effortlessly lifted him off his feet, his back sliding roughly against the wall.

The spider creature leaned her face ever so close to Harry's, until they were barely an inch apart. He was no longer aware of any other noises in the passage as he felt her hot breath upon his face and he gasped for air, a foul stench assaulting his nose. She bared her sharp teeth, hissing aggressively at him, and Harry felt the last of his strength swiftly draining away.

"Incendia!" a weak yet determined voice cried out suddenly, and Harry unexpectedly found himself sliding quickly back down the wall, taking deep, painful, wonderful gasps of air as he slumped to his knees. The alley was alight all around him, and he glanced up through hazy vision to see the spider creature just a few feet away, engulfed in searing hot flames. He heard her agonizing screams of pain echoing in his head as she fell to the ground, twisting and thrashing, her movements quickly growing fainter.

"Harry, get up…get up!" Ron's voice suddenly broke through, a frightened urgency in his tone as he grasped one of Harry's arms and tugged him quickly to his feet.

"Ron…how did…?" he began, unable to finish his sentence as he choked on the words passing through his raw throat. Ron paused only long enough for Harry to catch his breath again, before pressing forward.

"We can talk about it later," Ron said quickly, glancing around anxiously as they moved. They exited the alley immediately and started for the apartment.

"You're bleeding," Harry croaked, finally getting a good look at his friend once they were on the lighted sidewalk.

"So are you," Ron shot back, his eyes flickering to the lower half of his friend's face. Harry realized it must have been from when he was pulled to the ground in the first place, but he didn't care right now. All that mattered was finding out what those things were, and more importantly, what they wanted.

As they closed the short distance to the building in which Ron lived, Harry's thoughts drifted back to the woman who the spider creatures appeared to first be after. Who was she? What had she done to cause these things to attack her? Had she gotten away, or was she perhaps lurking somewhere nearby, waiting to see what happened to the creatures?

"We have to find that woman," he spoke up hoarsely, voicing his thoughts.

"You meant the one who got us into that mess? What for?" Ron asked, seemingly appalled at the idea.

"To find out about those creatures," Harry replied, simply.

"We know how to kill them, that's enough for me," Ron said stubbornly. Harry looked over at his friend for a brief moment, before speaking again.

"How did you escape from the one you were fighting?" he asked, curiously, remembering how very impossible it had looked to him that Ron would get out of his predicament.

"Well…she was scratching at my face, and my neck…I couldn't aim my wand at all," Ron spoke hesitantly, as they reached the stairs to the apartment at last. "All I could do was use my other hand…so I did the same thing to her that she did to me…"

"And that worked?" Harry asked, thinking it sounded too easy.

"Not right away, no," Ron said, glancing down at the blood dripping from the thin scrapes on his neck and face; staining his clothes. "When I happened to catch her in the eye though, and I mean a good one, my fingernail scraped right under her eyelid, I could tell it hurt her a lot more than anything else I was doing. So I kept going for her eyes, and she started attacking faster, but something was different…it was like she was panicking now, because she kept missing. When I finally managed to hit her one last time in the eye she leapt backwards, and ran up the alley. I saw her climb the fence at the end, but that was it…and then I went to help you…"

"So their weakness is their eyes," Harry said, as the two now stood just in front of the hearth in the foyer. "Good to know," he said, raising one hand instinctively to his bruised throat.

"C'mon," Ron said, nodding towards the fireplace, his exhaustion now clearly evident in his voice. "Let's go upstairs…the girls are probably worried…who knows how long we've been gone…"

Harry nodded in agreement, wanting very badly to just sit down and rest for a few minutes, as he was still very weak from what had happened. Ron touched his wand to the top, right corner of the grate, and the flames immediately swirled into the same light blue coloring they'd taken on before. They stepped into the hearth together, appearing seconds later at the fireplace in Ron's apartment.

Harry had just begun to wonder why the girls hadn't come looking for them, as surely they'd been gone much longer than it ever should have taken to run to the corner market, when the sudden sound of silence engulfed him. The lamps in the room were now off, and the only light came from the ever-moving glow of the fire.

"Hermione…? Mel?" Ron called out immediately, and Harry could hear the same worry in his friend's tone that he was feeling at this exact moment. Ron had his wand gripped tightly in his hand, and Harry reached into his pocket, retrieving his wand as well, when an unexpected voice spoke softly from their far left.

"Expelliarmus."

The wands were ripped from both wizards' hands before either of them had a chance to realize what happened, and they both spun on the spot. A tall man in a long, black cloak stepped out of the shadows in the corner of the room. His hood was drawn up over his head, covering his face.

"Who are you?" Ron demanded angrily, his eyes flashing. "What have you done with Hermione and Mel?"

The man made no reply, pocketing both of the wands that had just flown to his grasp, before raising his own wand again, and pointing it at Ron.

"Stupefy."

There was no time to dodge, and Ron was hit squarely in the chest by the curse. Harry's mind was racing as his friend slumped roughly to the floor beside him. What was going on? What did this man want?

"You must be tired," the dark man stated crisply in a voice that sounded oddly familiar. He slowly began stepping forward, advancing on the younger man. "Why don't you sit down, Harry? There's something I need to take care of…I promise, it won't take long…"

Suddenly it clicked; Harry knew where he recognized this voice from.

"You're the one who was in the dark forest…" he said as the man stopped only inches from where Harry stood, his legs now shaking from fatigue. The man did not reply, but instead reached forward and roughly grasped Harry by the arm, forcing him towards the couch a few feet away.

"I said sit," the man stated firmly as he pushed Harry into the seat.

"What do you want?" Harry spat angrily, glaring up at the hidden face.

"Patience," the man drawled, an amused tone to his voice, before bringing up his wand. Harry felt a stab of fear that he forced away, having no idea what this man intended to do to him, when he was suddenly showered with a soft mist. The pain in his throbbing muscles alleviated immediately, as did the burning in his raw throat. The overwhelming pull of exhaustion was thrust away…it was as if the struggle with the spider creatures never happened.

"Who are you?" Harry asked warily, not sure what to make of this man.

"My name is Adrik," the voice from under the dark hood replied curtly.

"You are the man from the forest, aren't you?" Harry asked, knowing he had to be right. "Why were you after Hadley?"

"We're not here to discuss that today," Adrik replied evenly.

"Then what are you here for?" Harry demanded. "Where are Mel and Hermione?"

"They're perfectly alright," Adrik said, "I have no intention of harming your friends…" he trailed off, his gaze falling on Ron's limp form. "Don't move," he said absently to Harry as he started towards the hearth. Harry watched with growing apprehension as Adrik slowly crossed the room, weighing his chances. If he could take him by surprise while his back was turned, he might be able to get his wand back. But if Adrik saw him coming, Harry knew he had no hope of defeating this man who had such overwhelming strength.

Harry sprung up from his seat, however, when the man aimed his wand at Ron, only to feel relief an instant later when he used the same magic to heal the unconscious wizard's injuries.

"I told you no harm will come to your friends," Adrik said knowingly without turning to look at Harry. "Now sit."

Harry slowly lowered himself back down to the couch, feeling uneasy, but deciding not to attempt to cause any trouble for Adrik until he knew more about what he was up against. Numerous questions were racing through his mind, but before he could find the voice to ask even one of them, a sudden popping noise echoed through the air around them, and Harry felt his jaw drop, stunned as he saw who had apparated into the room.

The tattered green cloak, the delicate frame…it was the woman from the alley. The one the spider creatures had been after…

"We lost Zuri," the woman said furiously, crossing the short distance to where Adrik stood.

"We will fix it, don't worry," he replied confidently. "As soon as we finish our task here."

The woman turned her head, fixing her gaze on Harry, a dark scowl etched on her features.

"Is it already started?" she asked evenly.

"Yes," Adrik nodded, faintly. "Everything's in the next room, why don't you wait here, I'll bring it in."

Harry watched as the small woman nodded impatiently, and Adrik turned, starting for the kitchen. She tore her gaze away from him then, ripping at the homely green cloak she was wearing, and letting it fall to the floor, along with all indications of her frailness.

She had long, flowing, silky black hair that hung below her hips. Her petite frame now looked toned and strong, and her rough skin was smooth and soft. The rags she had appeared to be wearing before were nowhere to be seen, and she stood clothed in a long, sleeveless, black gown.

"What do you want?" Harry asked abruptly, amazed at the transformation but keeping his mind focused. "Why did those spider creatures attack you?"

"The Skeins didn't attack me," the woman laughed wickedly. "They belong to me…you could say that I am their mother." She closed her eyes, tilting her head back for a brief moment, before opening them again, revealing a most unnatural sight. It was as if her eyes had been inverted. The whites of her eyes had gone jet black, and the pupils and irises seemed to meld together, forming an intense white circle in the center of each.

"Their mother?" Harry repeated with faint shock.

"Yes…but now your friend has murdered one of my children, and seriously injured another" she continued, the tone of her voice growing low and deadly. She slowly turned her gaze away from Harry, bringing it to rest on Ron.

"What did you expect him to do?" Harry asked quickly, ready to lunge at the woman if she tried to go for Ron. "You're the reason we went down that alley in the first place…and they tried to kill us!"

"But they didn't kill you, did they?" she shot back furiously, her anger-filled eyes once again meeting Harry's.

"What is it you're here for?" Harry asked, forcing calmness into his tone.

"You'll find out soon enough," she hissed, a tiny smirk touching her lips.

"Then why did you lead Ron and I to those…those things…the Skeins…? You let them attack us, nearly kill us…only to later heal our wounds…it doesn't make sense…"

"You'll get no explanation from me," the woman said darkly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now shut your mouth and wait quietly."

"Lilith," Adrik's deep voice called out gently. "The boy is only confused, no need to be harsh with him…" he trailed off, an underlying amusement in his tone.

Harry turned his head towards the kitchen door and felt his stomach flip. Adrik had his wand out in front of him, maneuvering three objects through the air. One was a rather small cauldron, a cloud of blue smoke billowing out above it…the other two, were Mel and Hermione. The two girls were struggling in mid-air, their wrists and ankles bound with cords, and thick gags in their mouths.

"You said you wouldn't hurt them!" Harry yelled angrily, jumping up from his seat, ready to do whatever was necessary to save his friends. He could clearly see the confusion and fear in both of their eyes.

"And you'll notice, that aside from perhaps a slight discomfort, they are quite unharmed," Adrik replied casually, setting the cauldron down a few feet from where Harry stood, before maneuvering both girls over to the wall beside the hearth. He set them down so they were sitting up and against it, before dropping his gaze to the limp form on the floor. With another wave of his wand, Ron was lifted through the air and propped up beside Hermione, before he was quickly bound and gagged as well.

Leaning down towards Ron's head, Adrik positioned his wand just in front of the redhead's face.

"Enervate," he whispered, and within seconds, Ron's eyes fluttered open. For a moment, he stared at the hidden face in front of him, a disoriented look in his gaze, when suddenly he seemed to realize he couldn't move, and a wave of fear and confusion passed through his eyes as he began to fight against his restraints.

Adrik straightened up slowly, stepping several paces away from the three struggling captives and facing Harry once more.

"Let them go," Harry said immediately. "They have nothing to do with this…"

"How would you know?" Adrik snapped abruptly. "You don't have any idea what I'm here for." He paused then, glancing down at the three once more before bringing his head back up. "But you're right, they have no part in this…I just like an audience…" he trailed off, obvious enjoyment in his voice.

"Just tell me what you want!" Harry cried suddenly, standing in place, fighting the urge to lunge at the stronger man. He knew there was no hope of defeating him that way, or he would have done that long before this moment.

Adrik waited a moment before replying slowly and deliberately.

"I want you to sit down."

Harry hesitated several seconds before doing as the man asked, seeing him bring his hands up to the dark hood covering his ever-hidden face. Adrik began to slip the hood back slowly, keeping his head down as he did so. Harry could see the stronger man was completely bald, but that was all, until ever so slowly, the man began to lift his face.

Harry grimaced in horror at the sight before him, and from just a across the room, he heard Hermione let out a cry which was strangled by the gag in her mouth, but her eyes were wide with alarm. The others looked equally frightened, but Harry could tell Hermione knew something about this man, whose image he now wished to erase from his mind.

Adrik's eyelids were unevenly sewn shut with thin, black string. They were sunken into his head, indicating that the eyes underneath were no longer there. His skin was smooth, and hairless, with the exception of one sharp scar on the left side of his upper lip, twisting the soft pink flesh into a harelip.

"Lilith, check on the potion dearest," Adrik said quietly, and the raven-haired woman nodded once, before gliding smoothly past him towards the cauldron. The tall man took hold of the armchair across from Harry, shoving it closer to the younger man before lowering himself into it.

"As I said, it shouldn't be long," Adrik said with a smirk. Harry could only gape at the man, not having expected this at all. Perhaps what shocked him most of all, was how Adrik had given him the clear impression he could see just fine…

"What do you want with me?" Harry asked faintly, when at last he found his voice again.

"You're going to drink something for me," Adrik replied casually, "and then my wife and I will leave you…"

"And what is it you want me to drink?" Harry asked suspiciously, his gaze flickering briefly to the cauldron.

"It won't kill you," Adrik replied, a slow grin spreading across his face.

"I don't believe you," Harry stated immediately. "If you didn't want me dead why have the Skeins attack Ron and I?"

"I have my reasons, which I don't care to share with you," Adrik replied stiffly. "I wouldn't have let them kill you though…I need you very much alive right now."

"What for?" Harry asked angrily.

"You're just full of questions, aren't you?" Adrik laughed darkly. "Too bad I can't answer them for you. Though I'm sure you'll understand…at some point or another…"

Harry stared at the dark man, loathing his presence, despising the feeling of helplessness surrounding him at this moment, but there was nothing he could do…

"You work for Voldemort, don't you?" Harry asked quietly.

Adrik paused a long moment, and Harry had the overwhelming sensation that the blind man was staring directly into his eyes, before he heard the deep voice reply.

"I will serve the Dark Lord until I breathe my last breath…and when I die, it will be for him."

Despite the fact that Harry was already certain Adrik was a death eater; he felt a violent chill run up his spine upon hearing the reply.

"It's ready," Lilith's voice floated over to them then, and Harry glanced over his shoulder, to see her moving towards him, carrying a large glass in her hand. She handed it to Adrik, before sinking down onto the arm of the chair beside him, and fixing her gaze on Harry.

"This is it then, Potter," Adrik said, holding the glass out to Harry.

"No," Harry replied, shaking his head. It didn't look as if any liquid were in the cup at all, there was a large, blue flame flickering about madly, a tendril of smoke rising into the air above it. "I'm not drinking that."

"Don't be difficult, Harry," Adrik said, his tone dark and demanding. "If I have to force this down your throat, believe me I will…"

Before Harry could utter a word in reply, however, Lilith jumped up from the chair, crossing towards the three captives.

Harry stood up abruptly as Lilith stopped next to Mel, kneeling down beside her and grasping a handful of her soft, blonde hair. Mel tried in vain to free herself from the dark woman's grasp, but there was ultimately nothing she could do without the use of her hands. Ron and Hermione were struggling futilely against their restraints as well, to no avail. Before Harry could take one step towards his friends, however, he was shoved roughly back into his seat by Adrik, who stood over him, keeping him where he was.

All he could do was watch helplessly, as Lilith drew a long, sharp knife from under her gown, bringing it up to Mel's soft neck and digging it into her skin.

"Drink it," Adrik said again, thrusting the glass towards Harry once more.

Harry took the cup without hesitation. He glanced sideways at Mel, seeing soft tears trickling slowly down her face, before raising the glass to his lips and tipping his head back, downing the flames in one gulp.

In an instant, Harry's throat began to burn so intensely, that he lost his grip on the glass, bringing his hands to his neck as it smashed to the hardwood floor. The potion spread through him like lightning, making it feel as if his whole body were engulfed in searing, white-hot flames, and he pressed himself further into his chair, holding in the cries threatening to escape him, consumed by the pain.

His eyes were squeezed tightly shut as the agony was far too great, he couldn't think clearly, and wished fiercely for it to end. He didn't even feel it when Adrik, an amused sneer on his lips, leant down and grasped Harry's right wrist in his large hand, twisting it so the underside was facing up. The dark man drew a long wand from within his black robes, and placed the tip of it firmly up against the soft skin of Harry's wrist, just under his thumb.

"Opacus inquino igniculus avocare," Adrik spoke confidently, and a red light could barely be seen outlining the tip of his wand from where it was pressed against Harry's skin. In seconds, Harry felt the searing heat consuming him begin to drain out through his wrist, and Adrik's entire wand started glowing…first red, then slowly becoming blue. Harry felt his strength returning rapidly, and the pain was entirely gone as Adrik pulled his wand away, but he did not release his hold on the younger man's wrist. Harry had no time to think about what the purpose of putting him through that was, if only to take it away seconds later, when the dark man spoke again.

"Opacus signum."

The tip of Adrik's wand flashed so brightly Harry had to avert his eyes, and when he looked back a moment later, it was glowing a dazzlingly bright yellow-orange. Harry had no time to react as the grip around his wrist tightened painfully, and his arm was pulled forward sharply, before Adrik thrust his wand harshly into the exact spot he'd placed it only moments ago.

Letting out a cry of agony through clenched teeth, Harry did all he could to free his arm from Adrik's grasp, trying frantically to pry the immovable fingers off of him. It felt as if the skin on his wrist were melting away as the wand was pressed mercilessly into him, charring and scorching the skin beneath it. A sickening aroma of burnt flesh filled Harry's senses, and he fought to remain conscious through the tears of pain that were blurring his vision.

After what felt like ages, Adrik at last pulled his wand back, the light at the tip extinguishing at once. He slipped it into his pocket, drawing his hand back out with what looked to be a shimmering powder trickling from his clenched fist. He held it over Harry's wrist, letting a minute amount drizzle onto the blackened, blistering wound, before releasing his hold completely.

Harry instantly slumped back into the chair, shaking from exhaustion, clutching his wrist to his chest, and breathing heavily as beads of sweat ran down his face.

"Come Lilith, we are finished here," Adrik spoke darkly as he turned away from Harry, facing his wife once more.

"They took one of mine…" Lilith hissed vengefully, still holding the blade's razor-sharp edge against Mel's soft throat, looking hungrily down upon the helpless, shaking girl.

Harry turned his gaze, only just realizing the dark woman hadn't released Mel, and he immediately began to stand, only to find he couldn't. He wasn't sure exactly what had been done to him, but he felt as if his veins were suddenly filled with led…he could barely move.

"You promised…" he croaked, tearing his gaze away from Mel's terrified blue eyes and glaring hatefully up at Adrik. "You promised my friends wouldn't be hurt…"

"Lilith," Adrik spoke again in a commanding tone, ignoring Harry. "I promise you when the time is right, you can have your revenge…but not tonight. You have moved Zuri already, I trust?"

"Now is right," Lilith replied, darkly, before a look of pure hatred contorted her pale face. "One of my children was killed!" she screamed furiously.

Mel winced in fear through the gag as the dark woman wrenched back on her hair painfully, the knife still pressing into her throat.

"I've already told you, we will fix it," Adrik replied soothingly, starting to move quickly across towards his wife, and speaking again, his voice becoming stern and cold. "Now stop this at once. Release the girl; she is not the one who killed Zuri. We don't have time to waste."

Harry watched, barely breathing, as Lilith's hateful, determined expression slowly faded into one of misery and torment. She began to weep softly, losing her grip on the dagger and letting it fall harmlessly onto Mel's lap, before bringing her hands to her face. Mel let out a muffled sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping from the released tension, as she set her eyes upon the knife lying uselessly in front of her.

Adrik leant down and scooped the blade up in one swift motion, slipping it into his robes, before reaching forward and grasping one of Lilith's arms, pulling her gently to her feet.

"Do not cry, my love," he cooed softly, embracing his wife. "Everything will be alright, I promise you. But I must insist we leave now…"

Lilith drew back from his arms, nodding faintly, and in that fleeting second, all traces of sadness vanished from her expression. She cast a dark gaze over the three captives, setting her inverted eyes upon Ron and glowering at him, pure loathing in her gaze.

"Go and retrieve the item for me dearest, won't you?" Adrik spoke again, smiling softly at the dark woman. "I've left it out there," he said, gesturing towards the kitchen. Lilith nodded once more, and turned without a word, starting towards the next room. Harry looked after her curiously, wondering what this item was, but when she returned seconds later, she was carrying a heavy looking burlap sack held tight to her chest.

"Good night, Harry," Adrik said darkly, drawing four wands from his pocket and setting them down on the coffee table, before wrapping one arm around his wife as she pressed against him. "Until next time…" Harry glared hatefully back at the hideous face before him, still unable to move.

"I'm terribly sorry, ladies," he continued on, turning his head towards Hermione and Mel, a surprisingly sincere tone to his voice, "for disturbing the lovely dinner you were making. It was most rude of me, but unfortunately…I had little choice."

The two stared warily back at him, unable to reply had they even wanted to. Adrik turned his eyeless face back to Harry once more, and without another word, both he and his wife disapparated, leaving the four friends in silence.

Harry struggled to push himself up in his seat, but he could barely move. He glanced helplessly over at his friends who were still working against their restraints, but seemed to be getting nowhere. His wrist was tingling now, but the throbbing had dissipated. He glanced down, preparing himself for the sight of the wound he was sure would be there, and felt his jaw drop in surprise.

The burnt, charred skin was gone…completely healed. There were no blisters, no blood…his wrist was just as it had been before he drank the potion, with one exception.

Just under his thumb, where Adrik's wand had been pressed into his skin, was a small, circular mark. It had the faintest blue glow to it and within the circle were seven smaller ones, the edges of each touching, but not intertwining.

Harry stared at the mark, his brow furrowing in confusion. Was this what all that pain had been for…or was there more to this than he could see? The blue glow was growing fainter by the second, and Harry wanted to examine it closer, but sighed in frustration, as he couldn't manage to lift his arm more than an inch from his leg, where it rested.

Less than a moment later, the circular mark had faded entirely from his wrist, and Harry felt his strength rush back to him with a sudden jolt. He sat upright immediately, bringing his wrist close to his face, in hopes that he might still be able to see something more, but it was in vain. The blue glow had vanished, and the mark along with it.

Deciding to worry about it later, Harry stood quickly from his seat and grabbed the wands from the table. He hurried across the room to where his friends were and removed their gags first. Then, drawing his own wand from the bunch, he waved it over the three of them quickly, before kneeling down beside Mel as her bonds fell loosely to the floor.

"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously pulling her into a fierce embrace.

"I'm fine," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Harry could tell she was forcing it to remain steady.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, sincerely. "I'm so sorry…"

"Well it wasn't your fault," Ron spoke up flatly as he and Hermione helped each other up. "So let's skip the apologies and work on figuring out who those two gits were."

"You mean you didn't recognize them?" Hermione asked in shock, staring disbelievingly at Ron.

"Did I give you the impression I spent a great deal of time with them?" Ron shot back sardonically.

"Guys, not now!" Harry said at once, while helping Mel to her feet. "Hermione, do you really know who they were?" he asked eagerly. She nodded in response, before turning away abruptly and sprinting across the room, through the door to the study. Harry and Ron exchanged bewildered glances, but knew better than to ask questions. Hermione would no doubt have more answers than the two of them combined when she returned.

Harry began to lead Mel across the room and back to the couch, before lowering them both onto it. She was rubbing her neck absently, and Harry gently reached up, slipping his fingers through hers and moving her hand away so he could get a better look at it.

"Does it hurt badly?" he asked, seeing several thin scratches across her throat, but no blood. Mel silently shook her head in reply, and Harry drew her close to him, as she rested her head upon his shoulder.

"Here!" Hermione's muffled voice cried out from the next room. They heard her grunting in her effort to move whatever it was, and Ron stood up quickly, ready to go help her, when there was a loud thud, followed by brisk footsteps.

Hermione reentered the living room, carrying an enormous book propped against her hip as if it were an infant, only much larger. She reached the coffee table and released the book onto it, paying no attention as the small table shook from the impact.

"I'm not even going to ask how many times you've read through this…gargantuan book…to know you'd have to look in it so quickly…" Ron muttered in amazement as he took his seat again.

"Good," Hermione replied curtly, catching her breath from the unexpected exercise and dropping to her knees, before beginning to flip furiously through the thin, crisp pages. The book wasn't exactly old, that Harry could tell right away, but he hadn't the slightest clue as to what Hermione was so adamantly searching for within its pages.

"There," she said suddenly, thrusting the book away from where she knelt beside the table and towards Harry. He glanced down, scanning the page quickly, before raising his gaze hastily and looking at Hermione.

"Adrik and Lilith…Lestrange?" he asked quietly, feeling his stomach flip. "They were the Lestranges?"

"The Le-what's?" Ron asked in obvious confusion. Hermione gave him such a withering look that Harry believed she would have taken the book and slapped him with it, if only it weren't so heavy.

"The Lestranges!" she said exasperatedly. "They're Voldemort's most loyal death eaters! Responsible for countless deaths, pure blood, half blood, muggle…it makes no difference to them! They showed no remorse for their crimes…"

"But…they can't be," Harry stated almost to himself. "I've seen the Lestranges before…they…they didn't look like that…" he trailed off, remembering the image from so long ago, through the Pensieve in Dumbledore's office. "Adrik had his eyes…and Lilith's were…well, they weren't backwards…"

"It's got to be them," Hermione said softly. "Adrik lost his eyes while he was in Azkaban…and Lilith-"

She stopped abruptly, visibly tensing as did everyone else in the room, when numerous loud pops rang through the air, and several people apparated into the apartment.

Harry thrust his hand into his pocket, drawing out his wand and standing immediately, barely noticing the others doing the same thing, as he turned to face the new intruders. But a mere glance around the room was enough to cause a wave of relief to wash over the four friends, who immediately relaxed and lowered their wands.

"Sirius," Harry nearly laughed as his godfather stepped forward, concern and worry etched in his features.

"What happened?" Sirius asked anxiously, gripping Harry by the arms and looking him over, seemingly expecting him to be hurt.

"How…how did you…?" Harry began, trailing off as he caught sight of Draco just a few feet away, a blank expression on his face.

"Painful enough to tell someone this time?" Harry couldn't stop himself from asking as he caught Draco's eye.

"Shove it, Potter," Malfoy snapped impatiently. "Just tell us what happened so we can stop it from happening again."

"Harry, Draco…enough arguing, please," Dumbledore's voice spoke up from the opposite side of the room. Harry turned to see the head minister crossing over to him, with Marzia by his side. "Are all of you alright?" he continued, letting his penetrating gaze move slowly over the four friends.

"We're fine now," Ron answered, before gesturing around at the couches. "You can…you can all sit down…if you like…"

"Should we search the house first?" Sirius asked, a suspicious glint entering his eyes as he glanced around.

"No, they're gone now," Harry replied flatly, lowering himself onto the couch with Mel, Ron and Hermione. Dumbledore took the armchair while Sirius, Marzia and Draco took the smaller couch.

"Who's gone?" Marzia asked. "Who was here in the first place?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply but Dumbledore spoke first.

"The Lestranges…" he said gravely. The four friends all looked up at once, to find the head minister's eyes fixed on the book Hermione had brought out to show them.

"Yes," Harry nodded faintly.

"What did they do?" Sirius asked grimly, his eyes narrowing upon hearing their name.

Harry glanced sideways at his friends. Here they were, once again, about to explain and relive a terrible experience they'd shared. Knowing it was the only way they'd get any closer to figuring this out, however, Harry simply shook his head, and began to tell the story.

For just over an hour, the four friends talked without interruption, each filling in their part of the evening's events. Harry and Ron told of the incident with the woman in the alley, and the ghastly attack by the Skeins, pausing as Hermione and Mel started explaining what had happened while the boys were gone.

They had been finishing up with dinner when they heard movement in the living room, and went in, expecting the boys to be back. Instead of Harry and Ron, however, they found a dark hooded man and an exceptionally tall woman with pale blue skin standing just by the hearth. The woman hissed angrily, before moving slowly towards them, and the two girls were so taken aback, that they never saw the man raise his wand.

Hermione got a shot off first, intending to petrify the woman, but she was ready, dodging the bolt of energy that left the wand, and as she did, the hooded man's curse which he'd already called out, sped through the air and slammed into Hermione's chest.

Mel hesitated a brief moment as Hermione's unconscious form crumpled to the floor, before training her own wand on this intruder. She was stopped from doing anything further, however, as the tall woman lunged at her from a few feet away, taking hold of her arms and pinning them to her sides. The man crossed the room silently, stopping near Hermione to retrieve her wand from where it had fallen to the floor, before turning to Mel and ripping her wand from her grasp.

"What do you want?" Mel asked, trying to hide the fear in her voice while helplessly struggling against the woman's hold on her.

"I have something for Mr. Potter, and it must be given to him tonight…" the man drawled slowly as he turned his hidden face away from Mel, and pointed his wand at Hermione. Mel watched as he tied the unconscious girl up, feeling her stomach twist in panic.

"Harry isn't here," Mel said, glaring defiantly at him.

"Yes I know," the man replied, lifting Hermione's limp form and bringing it through the door to the kitchen, before setting her down on the floor against the corner cabinets. The tall woman followed his progress, never taking her white eyes off of him.

"Your boyfriend," he continued as he came back into the room, stopping directly in front of Mel, "is on his way back from the market with young Mr. Weasley, I'm quite aware of his location. But he won't be back just yet, I'm afraid…there's a small detour waiting for him, so I have time to prepare…"

"Prepare what?" Mel demanded, pulling fiercely against the grasp on her arms, her blue eyes flashing angrily and her voice growing louder as she continued. "What do you want with him!?"

For several seconds, the man made no reply, when suddenly a soft, dark laugh emitted from under the black hood.

"My but you have a temper, Melanie," he said with clear amusement, lifting his right hand and running one thick finger down the side of her soft face as she tried to pull away. "You and I should have a talk someday…" he drawled, as his hand slipped down, falling to his side. He reached into his pocket and redrew his wand, continuing on with a soft sigh. "But not today, I'm afraid…I have other things to take care of…"

With those words he lifted his wand, waving it over Mel once, and stepping back as thin cords quickly snaked their way around her, binding her wrists and ankles tightly.

The dark man slid his wand back into his pocket, before motioning the tall woman to step back. He moved forward, reaching around Mel and lifting her into his arms, carrying her into the kitchen as she struggled against him. He set her down on the floor beside Hermione, and leant over her.

"I do apologize, I so hate to rush," the dark man spoke, his tone dripping with sincerity as he smoothed Mel's hair beneath his fingers. "Such a shame…" he whispered.

Without another word, the dark man stood up, crossing to the small window on the opposite side of the kitchen. The tall woman followed him, watching as he rummaged through his cloak, setting several small packages and vials on the corner of the table.

"The cauldron?" he asked, and the tall woman nodded, turning and exiting the kitchen for a brief moment, before returning with a miniature black pot. Mel watched uneasily, as the man drew a small, burlap sack from the pot, and set it gently on the floor beside him with a heavy thud, before he began mixing the ingredients he'd lain on the table together.

Opening the window, the tall woman jumped up, perching on the sill and leaning partially out into the crisp, night air, but kept her gaze on the cauldron as the dark man continued to work in silence, his back to Mel and Hermione. When a thin tendril of black smoke was curling its way out of the pot, the man set the vial he'd been holding down on the table, and picked up the burlap sack.

Mel tried to shift her position, wanting to see what he was doing, but froze immediately as the dark man's cold, demanding voice filled the air.

"This isn't for your eyes Melanie, I suggest you stay put…"

Not waiting for a reply, the man reached into his robes again, extracting a small, thin, metal barb. Try as she might, despite the sinister warning, Mel couldn't see what the man was doing from where she sat on the floor, and the next thing she knew, their was a low rumbling coming from the belly of the cauldron. The black smoke took on a blue tinge as it continued to billow into the air.

The noise lasted for mere seconds but Mel could feel the floor shaking beneath her. When it suddenly stopped, the tall lady still perched at the window jumped up suddenly, leaning out further into the darkness, as if listening for something.

"It is time…go," the man commanded of the woman, and she obediently slipped silently out the window. He reached into his cloak yet again, drawing out a rough looking piece of cloth, and placed it over all but an inch of the cauldron's opening, leaving a space so the smoke could filter through, and drift out the window.

Mel realized at once that Harry and Ron must be about to return, and glanced nervously back and forth between the man and the hearth. He had finished working on the potion for the moment, and held two long white cloths in his hand as he strode across the room towards the girls. Kneeling down beside Mel, she could do nothing to move away as he took the first piece of cloth and shoved it into her mouth roughly, tying it behind her head. She glanced over as he did the same thing to the still unconscious Hermione, before he stood again.

"He went into the living room then," Mel said quietly. "I watched him…he put out all the lights and hid in the corner…waiting for you to arrive…"

Harry felt his blood boiling after hearing what Adrik had done to Mel. If the stronger man had been in his presence at this particular moment, he felt he'd have no trouble fighting him this time. And what did he mean…such a shame? His thoughts were interrupted, however as Draco's voice cut in.

"Alright so what then?" he asked, impatiently. "I know what I felt didn't all come from your battle with the Skeins."

Harry turned on Draco; clearly livid at the statement he'd just made, and opened his mouth to tell him off, when Sirius spoke first.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked, with obvious disgust in his voice, glaring at the former Slytherin. "Show a little compassion…or some human decency at least."

"I just want to know what happened tonight," Draco snapped, irritably. "They aren't the only ones who had a bad night, you know…"

"Well we're telling you what happened, aren't we?" Hermione jumped in, glaring heatedly at Draco.

"And I think if you really wanted to argue about it, our night was worse than yours, Malfoy," Ron added snidely.

"If you're all quite finished," Dumbledore spoke up, sternly. "Would it be possible to continue with the explanation?" The three ducked their heads sheepishly, and Dumbledore turned to Harry, who was still glaring angrily at Draco.

"Mr. Potter?"

Tearing his gaze away from Malfoy and nodding stiffly, Harry started talking again, telling about all that had happened after he and Ron arrived back at the apartment. He spoke quickly; trying to remember every detail of the process Adrik had put him through using the potion and the spell. Finally, just over half an hour later, he finished speaking, and looked hopefully to Dumbledore for an explanation…or anything that might make the evening's events make more sense.

"Harry, would you show me where exactly the mark on your wrist appeared?" the head minister asked, seriously.

Nodding faintly, Harry held out his right arm, underside up, and leant over the arm of the couch towards the headmaster.

"Just below my thumb there," Harry said as Dumbledore took hold of his hand gently, examining it. "Like I said, it faded pretty quickly, I didn't get a good look…"

"But it was a circle, you're certain of that?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes…with seven smaller circles within it."

"Seven within it…" Marzia repeated faintly, before abruptly leaning forward in her seat. "Were they all lined up along the edge of the larger one?" she asked, anxiously.

"Yes," Harry nodded at once. "Why…do you recognize it?" he asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer, judging by the sudden look of worry that had settled over her features.

"I…I think it's…" she trailed off, her eyes flickering uncertainly to Dumbledore.

"You are correct, Marzia," the head minister nodded gravely. "It is the mark of the Cult of Shadows."

"What?" Harry cried in shock, jerking his hand back without even realizing he did so. "How? Are the Lestranges part of the cult?" he asked quickly.

"If they were, they would not have needed to go to such lengths to put that mark on your arm," Dumbledore replied evenly. "Adrik always had a fondness for working with hallucinations, illusions…and especially…forgeries."

"How would one normally get the mark then?" Hermione asked.

"I do not know," Dumbledore replied quietly, shaking his head. "The cult has many well kept secrets, and has never shown any sign that they would be willing to answer our questions about them."

"Maybe…maybe he did it wrong then," Harry said hopefully, while not believing his own words. "I mean, I can't see it anymore…"

"No, you usually don't see it," Marzia spoke up. "And only the Shadow Walkers know how to make it reappear."

"So what exactly is this mark going to do?" Sirius asked suddenly, concern evident in his voice. "Will the cult be led straight to Harry now? Will they be able to track him?"

"I do not know," Dumbledore said again. "We are aware the cult uses the mark as a way of showing that a new member has been fully initiated into their ranks. But aside from that, we know very little about it."

"Then how do we get it off of him?" Sirius pressed.

"Adrik is the only one who can answer that question, I'm afraid," Dumbledore replied.

"Well we have to find another way then," Mel said quietly, a determined look in her eyes. "We can tell you the words he used in the spell…and I know I wasn't very helpful in what he put in the potion but I can at least tell you what some of the ingredients resembled…"

"Melanie, I wish it were that simple," Dumbledore replied sadly. "But if we do not know the exact components and the specific amount he used of each, there is nothing we can do. If we tried to work on an antidote of some sort, we might end up hurting Harry more than he has already been. Adrik is also known for making sure you cannot undo what he has done…"

"Alright so we stay away from the antidotes," Draco spoke up then, sounding nervous at the very thought.

Harry bit back against replying to Malfoy, who obviously only cared for his own well-being, and turned to Dumbledore again.

"What do I do then?" he asked. "Should I leave the school? I don't want to endanger the students if the Shadow Walkers can find me there…"

"What you do is your decision, Harry," Dumbledore replied evenly. "If you're asking my opinion, I would say it isn't necessary that you leave Hogwarts. There is no certainty in the notion that the cult can track you now that you've been given their mark, and if they did, you would be their only target."

"And that's supposed to be reassuring?" Sirius asked, clearly incensed. "How can we be certain Harry's not going to be attacked by these things that can hide in the shadows…because that's exactly what they are!?"

The head minister looked into Sirius' angry, worried eyes, before replying quietly.

"We can't."

For a moment, Sirius said nothing, not having expected that reply from the head minister, and his jaw dropped in shocked silence.

"Sirius, it's not as if anything's changed," Harry began quietly.

"What do you mean? Everything's changed!" he replied abruptly, his eyes betraying the fear he felt for what might happen to his godson.

"The cult has been looking for me for a while now…and we've known from the start that they use scents to track people with…they're going to find me sooner or later…"

"And I'd much rather it be later!" Sirius replied fiercely. "We need time…we need to know more about them…how to fight them!"

"I can assure you that I've been using as much time as I can spare to try and obtain this information," Dumbledore interrupted quietly. "I've also assigned several ministers to this as well. If there is anything, we will find it, I promise you."

Sirius looked as if he were going to argue again, but Marzia's hand on his arm caused him to hesitate as he turned his gaze to hers.

"Being angry isn't going to change the facts Sirius," she said quietly. "We're all going to do whatever we can to try and solve this, but yelling about it won't fix it."

Shaking his head faintly, Sirius let out a heavy sigh before speaking quietly.

"I know…you're right," he began, her words having partially diffused his anger for the time being. "It's just so…frustrating…"

The soft sound of Hermione clearing her throat caused everyone to suddenly turn in her direction, and she began speaking in a small voice.

"I don't mean to interrupt…but isn't there another problem we should be worrying about?" she asked.

"Which is?" Ron piped up from just beside her.

"Well…why would the Lestranges put the mark of the cult on Harry in the first place?"

"We need to know what it does before we can answer that, don't we?" Mel asked.

"Just think about it for a moment," Hermione began, a look of concentration settling in her eyes. "Let's say the mark does allow the Shadow Walkers to trace Harry; why would the Lestranges want that? The one shadow Harry spoke with on that day when he was almost taken made it quite clear he didn't expect Harry to be returning…and Marzia said they don't care about torturing or killing anyone who angers them…"

"And?" Sirius prompted, apprehensively.

"Well…we know the Lestranges work for Voldemort…and we know Voldemort wants to be the one to…to…kill Harry…so he can gain control of his powers. But if someone else kills Harry…someone without Faerunian blood…the powers just leave him, passing on to the next bloodline and waiting for the next Psion to be born, right?"

"Right," Harry nodded faintly, "and Voldemort would be left with nothing."

"So that can't be what he wants then," Ron spoke up. "There must be some other reason behind giving Harry that mark."

A soft silence fell over the room, as everyone tried to come up with some other explanation, but it was nothing that could be solved in such a short time.

"I think it would be best for now, if you four had some rest," Dumbledore spoke up softly. "When I arrive at the ministry office tomorrow morning, I will notify those that are already working on this of the new information we are now looking for.

"Fine, I'm tired anyway," Draco spoke up sharply as he stood from his seat. "Goodnight," he said to no one in particular, before disapparating from the room.

"What a stupid git," Ron muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Did you honestly expect anything other than that from him?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes, before looking to Dumbledore. "How did you know where to come, anyway? I'm assuming Draco told you first…but did any of you have our address?"

"Hey that's right," Harry said, suddenly. "I don't remember even telling anyone I was coming here tonight…"

"Which I hope you never forget to do in the future," Sirius said, giving his godson a pointed stare. "It took us too long to get to you tonight…"

"So how did you finally find us then?" Mel asked.

"As Hermione said," Dumbledore began. "Draco did indeed come to me when he first felt the pain. He had already left work for the day, and used the floo network to return as I was just getting ready to leave. When he arrived at my office and explained what he'd felt, I immediately sent word to Sirius to meet us at the school, which is where I assumed you would be," he paused, looking towards Harry. "When we didn't find you in your quarters, however, I spoke to Minerva, who said you hadn't returned from Hogsmeade that day, but several students had seen you and Melanie together, so no one was worried. Sirius suggested we ask Ginny Weasley if she knew anything, since you have always had a close friendship with her, and as it happened she knew exactly where you were. She pointed out this location to us on a map, and we immediately left the school grounds, apparating here as quickly as we could."

Harry looked towards his godfather as the headmaster finished speaking, to see Sirius was still giving him a sharp stare.

"Alright, I'm sorry," Harry half-laughed as he spoke. "I promise to send you detailed notes on my plans for the rest of the year, alright?"

"It's all I ask," Sirius joked, winking at his godson.

Harry shook his head in amusement, but he knew his godfather had a point. If he'd told them where he was going to be in the first place, they might have arrived before Adrik had the chance to finish what he was doing.

"If you all feel you are alright then, it is time for me to be on my way," Dumbledore spoke up then, his piercing gaze falling over each of the four friends in turn, and they all assured him they would be fine. Once he had disapparated from the apartment, Sirius and Marzia stood as well. Sirius expressed his worry over the situation once more, but had resigned to the fact that for the time being, there was nothing more they could do. Harry promised he would be careful, and that he would tell them where he planned on going if he thought he'd be away from Hogwarts for a long while, before they too, disapparated.

"I should get going as well," Mel said softly, heading to where she'd hung her cloak after she'd arrived, but Harry stopped her suddenly, gently grasping hold of her arm.

"Are you…I mean…I'm not sure if you should…" he stammered.

"Harry," Mel interrupted quietly, a small, knowing smirk on her lips. "I'm not afraid of the dark…and I can be alone in my own house, don't worry about me."

"That's impossible," he smiled down at her.

"Me being alone in my house?" Mel asked, confused.

"No, me not worrying about you…" he trailed off, leaning down, brushing his lips against hers, kissing her softly.

"I'll be fine," Mel whispered as they slowly parted. "And promise me you'll be careful Harry…"

"I promise," Harry grinned reassuringly. He couldn't help but laugh then as Mel tried unsuccessfully to stifle a rather large yawn, before regaining her composure and smiling sheepishly up at him.

"Go, get some rest," he laughed, leaning down and kissing her forehead, before leading her across the room to her cloak. He helped her on with it slowly, wishing her a good night, before stepping back several paces, and letting her disapparate.

"I should head off too, guys," Harry said quietly, looking back towards where his friends stood, smiling as they watched the exchange between Harry and Mel. "I'm really sorry about dinner…" he trailed off, causing Ron to throw his hands up in the air, exasperated.

"Not your fault, Harry," Hermione replied with a laugh. "We'll do it again sometime…don't worry."

"I look forward to it," Harry grinned.

"I'll be checking the library at school," she spoke up again quickly. "If I find anything at all on the cult, I'll let you know right away."

"Thank you," Harry nodded in appreciation, smiling down at her. "Just don't start letting those lovely grades slip, now…" he teased.

"Oh that would never happen and you know it," Ron shot back, jokingly.

"Good night, Harry," Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes as she shook her head at Ron.

"Good night," Harry replied, pulling on his own cloak and fastening it around his neck, before disapparating. He reappeared as close to the school as possible, on the platform where he and Mel had left all the students earlier, only to find Hagrid there, waiting for him.

"Professor McGonagall tol' me to meet you out 'ere," he explained upon seeing Harry's surprised expression. Harry just smiled back, and began to walk with his friend, knowing Dumbledore had probably contacted Minerva the moment he'd arrived back at his home, and asked that she send someone to meet Harry. The two friends talked for the duration of the walk, and Hagrid went on about all that had happened during the feast that evening, while Harry listened and laughed. He had to decline the offer of tea and cake that Hagrid extended, as he was truly beginning to feel the exhaustion setting in now. He said goodnight to his friend, and headed back inside the school, making his way to his quarters, and very glad that this night was over.


	7. Chapter 7

The weekend continued on, with everything seeming to resume its normal pace. Harry had spent much of his time working out a lesson plan on how he would teach the students the Patronus charm. He'd also made a few short visits to the Library, looking for any information there might be on the Lestranges, but had not yet had the chance to fully read through any of the books Madam Pince had recommended.

Soon enough, classes began again, and Harry was still finishing up the lessons that each class had been working on. As his first lesson back in September had been with the first-years, they would be the first class to start work on the Patronus Charm.

When Thursday morning arrived at last, Harry made sure to arrive at the dark arts classroom early to once again go over his lesson outline. He had no basis to plan the session on, other than what Remus had gone through with him five years ago, but that had been one on one…this would be different.

After the students had finished arriving, and role-call was through, Harry stepped around to the front of his desk, gently leaning against it, as he looked out over the sea of curious faces.

"We're going to start working on something new today," he began gently. "Before we begin, however, there are a few things we need to go over. The first being, can any of you tell me…what a dementor is?"

There was no reply at first. Some students' brows furrowed in confusion, while others looked as if they might have an idea, but weren't sure. Harry looked out over the students, noticing the only one who looked afraid, was Hadley. She sat silently at her desk, her lips set in a straight line and her eyes focused on her fidgeting hands. After just a moment, however, Ariele's hand rose slowly into the air.

Harry nodded at her softly, and when she replied, she was clearly uncertain.

"Aren't…aren't they…guards? For a…a prison?" she asked quietly.

"That's right," Harry replied with a nod. "They're guards, at a prison."

"So…they're good guys, then?" Lea asked, curiously.

"Well, they try to be," Harry replied, not wanting to scare the students. He was here to teach them to protect themselves, not give them nightmares. "But sometimes they become confused, and that's the reason for today's lesson." He turned around, leaning over his desk to grab a red leather-bound book he'd brought with him, and flipped through it to a page he'd marked earlier, before facing the class again. "I'm going to pass this around the room and I want all of you to take a good look at the picture. This is a dementor."

He set the book down in front of Ariele, watching as she examined the image. It didn't show the dementor's face, only its black robes and long, thin hands. But the picture gave them an idea of a dementor's height and the way it moved, as a member of the ministry was standing beside it, and the two were heading forward, towards some unknown destination in a cold, stone hallway.

"Professor?"

"Yes Ariele?" Harry nodded as the small girl lowered her hand.

"What did you mean when you said they become confused? How?"

"Well, the dementors don't have any eyes," Harry replied carefully. "And if they were to come near you, they wouldn't be able to see you the same way you and I can see each other. If for some reason they're ever away from Azkaban, and they come near you, you would know it because the air around you would suddenly become very cold. You might feel sad or upset, as this is one of the powers of a dementor, and if this happens, you want to get away as soon as possible."

"What if you can't get away?" Hadley's uncharacteristically small voice spoke up then, her piercing blue eyes locking with Harry's green ones.

"That's what I'm going to be showing you today," Harry replied, trying to sound reassuring. "There's a charm you can use, it's called the Patronus Charm. Now before we go any further, I have to let you know, this is not going to be part of your grade. I'm showing you this so you can protect yourselves if the situation calls for it. The Patronus Charm is very advanced and I'm not expecting that any of you should have mastered it by the time we're through with this lesson. We're going to work on the charm for a few weeks, and after that anyone who would like to continue lessons on it can let me know, and I'll set up time either after class or on the weekends."

He paused then, as Ethan brought the book back to the front, handing it to Harry, who thanked him, before returning to his seat.

"Alright," Harry continued, "now I'm going to show you the charm once, so you can see what it looks like, and then we'll begin."

Drawing his wand from his pocket and stepping around his desk to where he'd have a bit more room, Harry saw he had the rapt attention of every last student, before he called out the words.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A brilliant silver light shot at once from the tip of his wand, quickly taking the form of the stag, Prongs. It reared up on its hind legs in utter silence, before hitting the ground noiselessly, and fading from sight.

When Harry returned his gaze to the students he couldn't help but smile at the astonished expressions on their faces.

"We're…we're gonna be able to do that?" Ariele asked, excitedly.

"Well I'm going to start you on learning how, at least," Harry replied gently. "We'll see how far we can get."

He went on for a bit longer, explaining how each person's Patronus would take on a different form, and there was a good chance they might not see what that was for a long time, as the charm was not an easy one to master.

After the first half of the lesson was finished, however, and no one seemed to have any questions left for the time being, Harry decided it was time to let the practical lessons begin.

"Okay, who would like to try the charm first?" Harry asked looking out over the students, hoping one would volunteer. He glanced at Ariele, who looked as if she wanted to raise her hand, but was undecided. Devon, he noticed, was sitting with his eyes down, obviously not wanting to be called upon, much the same as many of the other students in the class. When suddenly he heard someone clear their throat softly from the left side of the room, Harry glanced over, not entirely surprised to see Hadley slowly lifting her arm into the air.

Smiling warmly, Harry motioned for the girl to come to the front of the room near him.

"Thank you Hadley," he said softly as she glanced uncertainly up at him. "Now, for this lesson we're not going to be practicing on a specific target…that won't come until much later. What I want you to do is think of something…anything…that makes you happy. The happiest you can ever remember being."

"Alright," Hadley replied hesitantly, her eyes narrowing in concentration.

"When you have the thought," Harry went on," When you can see the image clearly in your mind, I want you to try the charm…do you remember the words?"

Hadley nodded faintly in response.

"Good, take your time then…" he said quietly, "whenever you're ready."

Hadley made no reply this time, seemingly very deep in thought. The room was utterly silent for several long moments, waiting and watching, until finally, Hadley's gaze came back into focus, and she raised her wand.

"Expecto Patronum," she said without hesitation, a hopeful expression on her face. The tip of the wand lit up at once, a definite silver glow emanating from it, but there was no explosion of light. A delicate trickle of silver fog filtered into the air, and Hadley lowered her arm, clearly disappointed.

"Not happy enough, I guess," she muttered under her breath.

"Actually, you did amazingly well for your first try," Harry spoke up, smiling brightly down at her. "Just the fact that you were able to make your wand glow is wonderful!"

"Okay," Hadley nodded dejectedly, turning to head back to her seat.

"You can try once more, if you'd like…" Harry called out after her, but the small girl merely shook her head, and continued walking towards her desk.

Harry shook his head faintly. Hadley had only just begun learning the charm and already she was expecting too much of herself.

"Alright," he said loudly, returning his attention to the other students. "Who wants to go next?"

This time Ariele's hand went up first; she quickly rose from her seat and joined Harry at the front of the class. After making sure she understood what to do, he stepped back as she brought up her wand.

"Expecto Patronum," she said quickly, her eyes lighting up as the tip of her wand began to glow, before fading out seconds later.

"Excellent," Harry smiled down at the dark-haired girl who looked quite pleased with the result. She went back to her seat, smiling brightly, as several students began raising their hands into the air, all wanting to have a go at the charm. They made their way up to the front one at a time, some looking determined, others hesitant, and some just hopeful, but they all gave their best attempt at casting the Patronus. Most of the time, there would be no glow, no light, their wands would give no indication that the charm had been called out, but that was what Harry had been expecting, and assured the students they shouldn't let this discourage them. Of the few whose wands did produce a glow, it faded quickly. Hadley was the only one so far to have anything actually emit from the tip of her wand. Even if it had only been a thin, shapeless fog, it was quite impressive.

With only a few minutes left to the class and only one student who still hadn't raised his hand, Harry finally had to call on him.

"Devon?" he asked gently, waiting for the small boy to bring up his gaze before going on. "Would you like to come up here and have a try?"

Devon's expression clearly stated that he'd rather do anything else, and his eyes flickered hopefully towards the clock on the wall, only to find there was no chance he could wait it out. There was just over ten minutes left to the lesson.

Sighing almost inaudibly, Devon stood slowly from his seat and shuffled to the front of the class.

"Are you unsure about something? Did you want to go over this again?" Harry asked, wondering why this boy who always before seemed to enjoy practical lessons was now giving the impression he wanted to run from the classroom.

"No," Devon replied quietly, slipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out his wand.

Harry watched as the boy closed his eyes, concentration etched in his features as he brought up his arm and spoke in a timid little voice.

"Expecto Patronum."

Devon's words were followed instantly by a dazzling burst of silver light from the tip of his wand. The light began to fill up the air in front of him, growing rapidly larger, and the rest of the class looked on in awe as the essence began to take on a definite shape.

Harry couldn't believe it either, after the obvious hesitation the boy had displayed towards attempting the charm, he never expected this to be the result.

The silver mist was still swirling in the air, not having completed taking on any form, and Harry looked down at Devon to congratulate him for such a good job, but stopped as he saw the boy's eyes were still closed tightly.

A collective disappointed groan from the class caused Harry to glance up quickly, however, to see the silver fog was dissipating now, not having taken on any form.

"Sorry," Devon murmured quietly and Harry looked down on him once more to see the boy's blue eyes looking straight back at him.

"Don't be," Harry replied at once, a smile crossing his lips as he put a hand on Devon's shoulder "you did wonderful."

The small boy nodded faintly, before dropping his wand into his pocket and heading back to his seat. The other Gryffindors were all looking upon him with amazement and respect; even some of the Slytherins were obviously impressed, with one clear exception.

Hadley was glaring darkly at Devon, who failed to notice her staring as many of his housemates began talking to him excitedly. Harry noticed immediately, however, and shook his head in frustration. Hadley was definitely one who wanted to be the best at everything, and clearly didn't like it when someone outdid her, but she would have to learn to accept it when it happened. He would not allow a repeat of what had happened with the Ashwinder simply because she was upset with one of her classmates.

The lesson came to a close then, and the students rose at once, filing out of the room and still going on about what Devon had just done. Devon, for his part, seemed to be somewhat enjoying the attention, a small grin on his face as he was pulled along with a group of Gryffindors on their way to their next lesson.

Harry watched after him happily, still amazed at how well he'd done for his first attempt at the charm, and glad to see him smiling. As the last few students gathered their things and exited the room, Harry turned away and crossed around behind his desk to prepare for the next lesson.

By the end of the next day, Harry was ready for a break from classes and was quite thankful it was the weekend. He knew the Patronus Charm would be quite difficult for any student to learn, but trying to instruct 30 to 40 of them at a time how to cast it was proving to be just as complicated.

Now that he didn't have to worry about it for a couple of days, however, there was something he'd been wanting to do. As soon as he'd finished breakfast on Saturday morning, Harry made his way back upstairs and entered his office, heading straight to his desk where he'd left the books he'd taken from the library. Settling down on the couch in the corner, for he had no idea how long this would take, he plucked the top book from the pile and opened it on his lap, a waft of dust rising into the air from the movement. The book, obviously, had not been read through in a long while and Harry let out a small cough, waving the gritty air away quickly, before sitting back and starting to read.

For several hours, Harry flipped through page after page, searching for any information that could be useful. Madam Pince had known what she was talking about; Harry could see right away that this book alone was filled with information that the ministry had gathered on the Lestranges, but none of it was what he was looking for. He was interested to find out that both Adrik and Lilith had attended Hogwarts and been expelled, but there was little said about the incident or incidents that caused their expulsion.

There was also a great deal of information on crimes they had committed, and sometimes, Harry thought, a little too much detail on what exactly they had done to their victims, but again, it wasn't what he wanted to know.

Book after book he searched through, scouring the pages for information, slowly coming to the realization that he would never find what he was looking for here.

After what felt like ages, feeling tired and hungry, Harry weakly tossed the last book aside and slipped his glasses off. He set them down on the couch and began massaging around his eyes and his temples, realizing how dark the room had grown as the sun had begun to set. There had to be more information somewhere on the Lestranges…this couldn't be all there was…

As that thought was going through his mind Harry jerked his head up suddenly, hastily grabbing for his glasses as he heard the door to his office open abruptly and slamming against the stone wall.

"Professor Snape," Harry said curiously as his eyes came back into focus. He looked questioningly at the potions master, wondering what the reason for this visit could possibly be. He knew he hadn't punished any Slytherins recently…

"Not hungry today, Potter?" Snape said briskly as he strode across the room, coming to a stop on the opposite side of the coffee table in front of Harry. "I haven't seen you since breakfast."

"Concerned?" Harry asked with a smirk, unable to stop himself.

"No," Snape replied bluntly. "But I would rather not have had to make the trip up to your office…"

"Who ever said you had to?" Harry asked.

"I received an owl this morning, from Albus," Snape said quietly. "He didn't say much, but asked that I speak to you about a potion you were given on Halloween…" he trailed off, his eyes flashing darkly before continuing. "I see you're back to your old habits despite the fact that you're supposed to be setting a good example now as an instructor here…getting yourself into trouble and sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Harry spoke fiercely, feeling a surge of anger as he jumped up from his seat, meeting Snape's eyes. "I wasn't anywhere I shouldn't have been, and the Lestranges snuck into Ron and Hermione's house!"

"Yes I recall hearing from Minerva that Albus came here that night with Malfoy and that idiot, Black, looking for you," Snape sneered. "How is it no one here knew where you were but the Lestranges did?"

"I don't know," Harry replied stiffly.

"Carelessness on your behalf, I suspect," Snape replied almost casually, and before Harry could utter one word, he went on quickly. "But that's not what I'm here for…now tell me about the potion, I don't want to spend all night here."

"Well we agree on that, at least," Harry said sharply. "And what do you want to know about it? Albus must've told you we don't know what the ingredients were…"

Snape rolled his eyes impatiently, giving Harry a withering look.

"Thank you Potter, I'm quite aware of that fact, yes…" he began snidely, "Tell me what it looked like, what you felt, what the side effects were…"

Harry set his mouth in a thin line, staring straight into Snape's dark eyes, before beginning to speak. He went through as best he could remember, all that had happened from the moment he was handed the glass with the blue flame in it.

"I don't remember the exact words he used," Harry said as he thought back to when Adrik had held the wand to his wrist. "But I saw a mark when he was finished…Albus said it was the mark of the Cult of Shadows."

"Anything else?" Snape asked curtly.

"That's it," Harry replied quietly, "he and Lilith left just after that…and once the mark faded, I could move again."

"Let me see your wrist," Snape said briskly, stepping forward and looking expectantly at Harry who held out his right arm and turned it upwards.

"That's where I saw the mark," Harry said, pointing to the spot on his wrist.

Snape took hold of Harry's wrist in both hands, staring at the skin under his thumb, examining it closely. After a moment of squinting, the potions master pulled out his wand and lit the tip.

"Here," he muttered, thrusting the wand at Harry who took it and aimed it at his arm. After another few minutes and still nothing, he opened his mouth to ask Snape if he thought he knew something, when suddenly the potions master started moving, pulling Harry along with him. The two moved away from either side of the table and came to a stop in front of the crackling fire in the hearth.

"Not enough light from your wand?" Harry asked, confused, as Snape knelt in front of the blaze, forcing Harry to his knees as well. The potions master made no reply, simply motioned for Harry to hush while he continued to look at his wrist.

After several more minutes, Snape began to lean towards the flames, but with Harry's arm out in front of him. Harry seized up immediately, trying to jerk his arm back.

"What are you…?" he began, stopping as Snape looked towards him, his eyes flashing intensely.

"I'm not going to hurt you Potter," he stated sharply. "Now if you'll let me finish what I was doing…" he trailed off, expectantly. Harry had no idea what was going on, but no matter what he thought of Snape, he honestly didn't believe the potions master would intentionally harm him. He allowed the older man to move his wrist towards the blaze, feeling the sweat break out on his hand from the powerful heat.

"Bring the light up," Snape snapped without turning his gaze away. Harry brought up the wand once more, aiming it at his wrist and trying to lean forward as best he could without getting in Snape's way.

"There…" Snape whispered suddenly and Harry looked to where the potions master was pointing to see what looked to be just another shadow in the flickering of the firelight…however this one wasn't moving. It was a dark circle on his wrist, just under his thumb.

After several seconds, Snape released Harry's arm, and snatched his wand back before starting to stand.

"Do you know what it does?" Harry asked quietly, standing up as well, and glancing down to his wrist. The mark had vanished the moment he had taken it away from the flames. "Or how I get rid of it?"

"Do you really think I have enough information to answer either of those questions, Mr. Potter?" Snape replied impatiently.

"I didn't mean…I just thought…since you knew how to make it appear…" Harry stammered.

"I didn't know, it was simply a hunch," Snape replied with a smug sneer on his lips. "You told me Lestrange had you drink fire…in similar potions one can use the same substance they've imbibed to get the desired result."

"But that wasn't the mark I saw before…it was just a shadow," Harry said quietly.

"Well we don't exactly have the same substance now do we?" Snape snapped. "And it seems most unlikely that we ever will, unless Adrik feels the need to inform you of the components he used when mixing the potion."

"No, probably not…" Harry trailed off with an inaudible sigh. He glanced again to his wrist, realizing they weren't any closer to figuring this out, before looking back up to see Snape heading for the door.

"W-wait…" Harry called out, hesitantly, causing the potions master to look over his shoulder, an irritable expression on his face. "That's all?" he asked quietly.

"What were you expecting, Potter?" Snape replied darkly. "Unless there's something you've forgotten to tell me then, yes, that's all I can do. The mark doesn't seem to be harming you in any way…and if it were meant to be something the cult could use to trace you, I'd say it isn't working properly. You've had that for a week now, and the Shadow Walkers are not the most patient beings…they would have come for you by now."

"What happens when they do come?" Harry asked suddenly, unable to stop himself. "How do I fight them?"

"I have other things to do tonight, Potter…" Snape growled as he turned away again, realizing instantly what Harry was getting at.

"When can I use the crystals again?" Harry blurted out, stubbornly, refusing to give up. This was too important.

"I do not have time for this," Snape hissed, turning and looking yet again into Harry's deep green eyes. "And we do not have time to continue the lessons."

"Don't you think it's possible for us to make time?" Harry asked persistently, "I'm willing to do whatever I have to…"

"It doesn't matter how much time we have!" Snape interrupted fiercely, with a sudden, sharp slash of his hand through the air. He paused a brief moment, before continuing in a deathly calm tone. "The lessons are at a standstill…we can't progress any further right now."

"But why?" Harry asked, confused. "What is it that's stopping us? If we work with them more often, won't that help?"

Snape made no reply, and stared back at Harry, who could see the anger building in his eyes, but couldn't understand why…he wasn't asking for anything unreasonable…

Without another word, the potions master turned with a violent swish of his robes, making it abundantly clear the discussion was over, and stalked out of the office, leaving Harry staring after him in bewilderment.

The month went on, and Harry continued the lessons on the Patronus Charm for the full three weeks McGonagall had allowed him. Snape was ignoring him quite obviously now, which Harry normally would have been glad for, but due to the circumstances, it only irritated him. Why was the potions master being so obstinate over the crystals? Didn't he see how important it was for Harry to be allowed to use them? He didn't even care about the lessons anymore…he just wanted to know he could call on the stones if necessary.

Hoping that wouldn't be the case for a while longer, at least, Harry tried not to think about Snape or the stones, deciding to concentrate on classes…and looking for information on the Lestranges.

By the last week of November, several students had progressed to the point where they were able to produce a silver fog from their wand. The majority of these were, of course, in their sixth or seventh year at school, and hadn't needed much motivation to learn the charm. They were all well aware of what the dementors could do.

In his Thursday morning classes, the first-years, while very eager to learn, were simply not powerful enough to handle the charm yet, with few exceptions.

Devon was still able to cast the closest thing to a Patronus of his class, and, Harry realized, of just about any other student in the school. He was still very hesitant any time he was called upon to come to the front of the room and try the charm again, but he always did, and each time produced the same result; a massive amount of silver light and fog, that never took on a definite shape.

Hadley, for her part, was rapidly closing in on Devon's level, her own results growing with each attempt. However, instead of showing pride for her work, which was truly exceptional given her age and experience, she only seemed to exhibit anger and resentment towards Devon, and always returned to her seat looking frustrated.

Knowing there was little he could do to change this, Harry simply made sure to keep an eye on Hadley whenever she was around Devon, which, thankfully, wasn't often outside of class.

On weekends, Harry spent a good deal of time trying to find information on the Lestranges, in between preparing for future lessons and stopping by at quidditch practices. He barely saw Ginny outside of class anymore, seeing as how the first match for Gryffindor was very near. Quidditch practices were in full swing again, the same as Harry remembered them from his early years at Hogwarts…before all the cancelled matches and the seasons were called off…before Voldemort's return.

He was glad though, glad that Ginny and the other members of the team would experience at least one year of normal, fun game play.

On the Friday before the match, Harry had finally given up in his search for information on the Lestranges. He'd even gone so far as to ask Minerva what she could tell him, only to find it was the same information he himself and found in the books. What he was looking for was obviously not in the school…he would have to go elsewhere. So when classes had finished for the day and dinner was over, Harry decided to visit the ministry, and hoped that Dumbledore hadn't left for the evening.

After returning to his quarters to grab his cloak and Moontrimmer, Harry made his way down to the main entrance of Hogwarts and stepped out into the chilly, evening air. He knew the ministry could easily open up a floo channel to reach the school, but he wasn't sure who to contact in order to ask, and didn't want to waste any time waiting. So he set off at once for Hogsmeade, arriving quickly in the small town and heading for the Floo Station.

He decided to keep his broom with him this time, and simply paid the small toll required to get to the ministry building. As soon as he stepped out into the dim, nearly deserted lobby, Harry headed straight across the hall to the indoor grates and stepped in. He directed it to the sixth floor and began walking towards the head minister's office immediately.

The door, he saw, was shut tightly and Harry couldn't tell in the bright hallway if there was light shining under the entryway or not, so when he came to a halt just before it, he lifted his hand and knocked, gently.

He waited, hoping to hear Dumbledore's voice call out to him as he usually did, but there was no response. Harry sighed lightly. The head minister must have left for the day, and Harry would simply have to wait to speak with him. He tightened the grip on his broom and started to turn away, when without warning the door swung forcefully open behind him.

Harry glanced over his shoulder, to find Travis looking curiously back at him.

"Harry?" Travis asked hesitantly, not sure if he'd remembered the name correctly or not.

"Yes," Harry nodded with a grin, turning to fully face the young man, "How are you Travis? It's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you too…" Travis nodded, trailing off as his eyes widened and a large smile broke out across his face. "Is…is that your broom?" he asked, pointing excitedly at the Moontrimmer.

Harry glanced down instinctively, before looking back up and nodding pleasantly.

"Would you like to see it?" he asked, receiving an enthusiastic nod in reply. "C'mon, I'll let you look at it inside," Harry said with a grin, stepping forward as Travis moved aside, allowing him into the large office.

"Where's Albus?" Harry asked as Travis gratefully took the broom from his hand, plopping down on the floor in front of the desk at once and beginning to examine it.

"He'll be back in a few minutes," Travis replied absently.

Harry nodded softly, lowering himself into the nearest chair and just watching Travis.

"Is this the first time you've ever held a broom?" Harry asked, uncertainly.

"Oh no, I've held lots of brooms," Travis replied happily. "Just never one as nice as the Moontrimmer 800. All the professional teams use these! I love watching quidditch too…it's just amazing how the players move around so quickly…" he paused briefly, tearing his eyes away from the broom and looking up at Harry with wide eyes. "Do you play?" he asked.

"Not professionally, no," Harry grinned lightly. "I did play while I was in school though…"

"What position?" Travis cut in.

"Seeker," Harry grinned.

"Wow…" Travis breathed, letting out a small laugh. "That's fantastic…you played the best position! Well…in my opinion, anyway…"

"Thank you," Harry smiled, before going on. "Have you ever been to a professional game then? Who's your favorite team?"

Travis shook his head, slowly.

"No…I've never been to one, I just watch from home. I'm a muggle…and even though it's not illegal or anything for me to be there…there are some who wouldn't much care for it."

"So…you've never seen a live game…ever?" Harry asked softly, feeling a familiar twinge of anger, knowing how some wizards thought so little of muggles.

"Not once," Travis shrugged, turning the broom over in his hands yet again.

Harry watched him a moment longer, wishing there were something he could do for him, when a thought came to his head.

"If…if you'd like," he began slowly. "And only if your uncle says it's alright…you can come visit me at Hogwarts tomorrow…there's a quidditch game scheduled for the morning."

"A real game? Seriously?" Travis asked, looking up at Harry with undisguised delight.

"Yes a real game, but not a professional one," Harry said quickly, trying to stifle a laugh at the other man's reaction. "It'd just be the students playing."

"I wouldn't mind!" Travis replied enthusiastically. "That would be so wicked!"

A soft laugh from the doorway broke through the conversation and both boys looked up to find Dumbledore grinning back at them as he entered his office, his eyes twinkling.

"And what is it today that has you so excited, Travis?" he asked as he walked towards his nephew.

"Harry said I can go to a quidditch game with him!" Travis exclaimed happily, beaming at his uncle.

"Did he?" Dumbledore replied, arching an eyebrow as he turned his gaze on Harry.

"I said if it was alright with you," Harry explained quickly. "And only to one of the school games…nothing too big…"

Dumbledore seemed to consider this for a long moment, and Harry wondered if he'd perhaps made a mistake in asking Travis, when slowly the head minister began to nod.

"Very well," he replied, grinning down at Travis. "If you would like to attend the game, you may."

"Thank you uncle!" Travis said, jumping up from his spot and hugging Albus tightly. Harry was taken aback by how childlike the man behaved, but smiled just the same.

"You're very welcome," the older man grinned as Travis lowered himself once again to the floor, before continuing, seriously, "Now I need to speak with Harry for a short while…will you wait right in here and not touch anything?"

"Yes," Travis nodded briefly, unable to stop smiling, and suddenly looked to Harry. "May I look at your broom a bit longer?"

Harry glanced hesitantly to Dumbledore, not knowing if this was alright or not, but the former headmaster nodded once.

"Sure Travis, keep it safe for me," Harry replied with a wink, looking away as Dumbledore began walking towards the doorway to the back room, motioning for him to follow.

"He gets excited easily, doesn't he?" Harry asked as he took a seat on the couch in the next room while Dumbledore closed the door over, leaving it open just a crack to listen for Travis.

"Yes he does," Albus nodded as he crossed the room, taking a seat in the armchair and looking up to meet Harry's gaze. "He has been that way ever since he was 9…that is how he was born."

"What…what do you mean?" Harry asked, suddenly realizing he had a good idea of exactly what the former headmaster had meant, but not wanting to assume.

"I mean just that," Dumbledore replied softly. "Travis is a grown man who can hold a conversation or perform a task if you ask it of him. There are many things he enjoys and many things he does not…but he will always see things from the same perspective as he did when he was a small boy."

"I'm sorry," Harry murmured, not sure what to say.

"Don't be," Dumbledore replied, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Travis is quite happy with his life, and has a family who loves him for who he is. He gets along just fine…" he trailed off, pausing for a brief moment before continuing in a slightly more serious tone. "The reason I even bring this up is because of your offer to him…for the quidditch match tomorrow."

"I'm so sorry about that sir, I didn't even think…" Harry began.

"It's quite alright, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore interrupted gently. "I am not angry with you. I think it will be wonderful for Travis to see a real quidditch game. I simply wanted you to be aware that you will have to keep a close watch on him. Don't let him wander off…or get into anything he shouldn't."

"No, no…of course not," Harry replied quickly, nodding his assurance. "I'll stay right with him the whole time he's there."

"Thank you," Dumbledore nodded with a small smile, before continuing. "Now…I assume you asking Travis to the game tomorrow was not the reason for your visit this evening…"

"No, it wasn't" Harry replied, seriously. "There are some things I'd like to ask you…if you have the time. I don't want to keep you from anything…"

"What would you like to ask?" Dumbledore spoke quietly.

"Well…it's mostly about the Lestranges. I've been looking for information on them…I've checked every book Madam Pince has recommended and more…but I can't find anything I want to know. It usually lists several of the more gruesome crimes they committed…and skips right to them being sent to Azkaban after the trials…"

"And what is it you would like to know of them?" Dumbledore asked, peering inquisitively at Harry from behind his half-moon glasses.

"Whatever you can tell me," Harry replied, solemnly.

For a long moment, Dumbledore said nothing, seemingly deep in thought. Harry waited as the seconds ticked by, and cleared his throat softly after a full ten minutes had passed without any response.

"If you can't tell me, that's alright too," Harry said softly. "Maybe if you could just give me an idea of where I might look to…"

"No, it's not that, Harry," Albus said quietly, seeming to sigh as he spoke, and continued on, his tone grave. "I can tell you something about the Lestranges…something you won't find in any books…"

Harry didn't reply as he sat forward in his seat, waiting for whatever the head minister was going to tell him. Dumbledore seemed to be collecting his thoughts, the warm look having vanished from his eyes as he finally began to speak.

"Adrik Lestrange and Lilith Prescott never tried to hide their interest in dark magic. It was a common bond that drew them together from the first day they met. They attended Hogwarts together for a short while, but were expelled in their fifth year…on this particular occasion, however, it was for something they did not do."

Harry's eyes narrowed questioningly, but he didn't interrupt as the head minister continued.

"I told you once before, Adrik loves to work with illusions, and that is somewhat of an understatement. Once he left Hogwarts, the wizarding world saw less and less of both he and Lilith, and for a great many years there was neither mention nor sighting of them at all. When at last they did resurface, as Voldemort began gaining power, they looked as if they hadn't aged a day since they were seventeen."

"Wouldn't they have been only a bit older than seventeen anyway?" Harry asked quietly, thinking the Lestranges, when he had seen them, looked close to Sirius and Marzia's age.

Dumbledore paused less than a moment, before speaking softly.

"Adrik and Lilith Lestrange are over 150 years old."

Harry's eyes widened and his jaw dropped in shock, having never expected this answer.

"They attended Hogwarts when I did," Dumbledore continued. "And made it very clear how little they thought of the lessons. They found most classes boring and useless, only truly paying attention during Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, but even those, after a short time, became dull for them. If their parents hadn't made them attend school, they would have been gone long before they were expelled."

"Why were they expelled?" Harry asked, finding his voice again.

"They were thought to be responsible for the deaths of two students, also fifth-years…and in a way, they were. But they were not the ones who killed them."

"Then, who did kill the students?" Harry asked, anxiously.

"Adrik and Lilith's best friends were the ones guilty of the crime. Jared Graham and Victoria Weston. The four of them were in Slytherin; inseparable from the moment they met. On the rare occasion they spoke to any student outside of their small group, it was usually to insult or taunt. They believed themselves to be above the rest of us."

"So…Jared and Victoria…did they frame Adrik and Lilith?" Harry asked, doubtfully. "If they were such good friends…why would they do that?"

"No one was framed, not at all," Dumbledore replied, shaking his head faintly. "When Adrik was told of his expulsion he didn't seem upset in the least…and in fact, couldn't stop smiling. Lilith's reaction was quite similar. I, myself, am rather certain Adrik and Lilith willingly took the blame for their best friends. Both as a way of thanking them, and as an escape from the school, knowing they would be barred from returning."

"Thanking them?" Harry repeated, horrified. "For what?"

Dumbledore shook his head, looking angry and tired over the memories he was dredging up, but sighed inaudibly, and continued with the story.

"The whole thing came about in a potions lesson in the spring of our fifth year," he said solemnly, his blue eyes looking far off as he spoke. "Adrik and Lilith had always excelled in this class, and as such had become quite overconfident…and careless. We were reviewing in preparation for the OWLs that day, working on a simple poison, a transparent substance that would exterminate any unwanted pests lurking about in your attic or cellar. Near the end of class, Professor Lyman had asked for a volunteer pair whose potion would be tested; Adrik and Lilith, as always, raised their hands. They loved nothing more than to show off their skills whenever the chance arose. So Professor Lyman brought a rat from a cage he'd kept near his desk over to Adrik and Lilith, and they dribbled a small amount of the poison on the table in front of the small animal."

"And?" Harry asked, uneasily.

"The rat didn't die…not right away, at least. But the torment it endured from the moment it tasted the potion was quite obvious. If the ingredients had been mixed correctly, the animal would have felt no pain, and simply passed away within moments of drinking the potion."

"They made it wrong then," Harry spoke up, and Dumbledore nodded silently.

"Something they did not want to admit under any circumstances," he said quietly. "Adrik turned on the students at the desk beside his, accusing them of tampering with his ingredients while he wasn't looking, but before either of them could even begin to defend themselves, another student, Garrick Fairleigh, interrupted the argument. He pointed out a small vile which was barely visible from under Adrik and Lilith's desk. When Professor Lyman retrieved it, he found it was the pinch of Nightshade that would have been required in order to kill the rat quickly. Adrik and Lilith were infuriated…and humiliated."

"What happened after that? Did they say anything to Garrick?" Harry asked.

"Quite the contrary, they remained utterly silent," Dumbledore replied. "They spoke to no one for the rest of class, and seemed almost subdued for the remainder of the day. In the days following, however, classes went on as usual…Adrik and Lilith were behaving as they always did…and it seemed the matter was forgotten. Three days later, Garrick was found dead in his dormitory, as well as one other Gryffindor fifth-year."

"What happened to them?" Harry asked, continuing quickly. "Poison?" he guessed, feeling suddenly sure.

"The very same poison Adrik and Lilith had mixed incorrectly, yes," Dumbledore nodded gravely.

"Who was the other student?" Harry asked quickly, rushing on as the thoughts came to him. "How were Adrik and Lilith caught…and why weren't Jared and Victoria blamed? Are you certain they're the ones who did it?"

"I am quite certain it was Jared and Victoria," Dumbledore said gravely. "You see, the other student who was poisoned, was a close friend of mine. Patrick Dalton. We were both prefects in our fifth-year, and as such were out after the other students every night, walking through the halls to make sure everything was in order, as is the duty of all prefects. Patrick, regrettably, was assigned to the lower halls of the school the night after the incident in the potions classroom. He told me after he'd returned to the common room, that he'd seen Jared out in the corridors, carrying a small sack, and that Jared had seen him as well."

"What did he do?" Harry asked uneasily.

"Patrick called out to Jared, but the boy paid no attention. He ignored Patrick and continued on his way, in the direction of the Slytherin dorms. Patrick followed after him…and would not tell me exactly what happened after that, but I believe Jared threatened Patrick, as my friend now refused to report to the headmaster about having found a student in the halls after curfew."

"Was Jared really that…" Harry trailed off, searching for the right word… "Intimidating?" he asked at last.

"Not in the sense that he was bigger or stronger than Patrick, no. He was not exceptionally tall or muscular…but his eyes were as black as his hair…and his heart. Jared never did anything without first ensuring the preservation of his own best interests, and a great number of students that ever had the misfortune of speaking with him usually went away fearing him…Patrick included."

"That was it then? Jared never got in trouble for that night?" Harry asked quietly.

"Unfortunately, no," Dumbledore replied, shaking his head, a wave of guilt passing through his eyes. "I stayed up long into the night with Patrick, trying to get him to tell me why he wouldn't even consider reporting Jared…and in the end, he asked that I give him my word…that I would say nothing as well. If I had known then, the consequences of making that promise, I never would have done it."

"You did it because he was your friend though," Harry said softly, seeing the hurt clearly in Dumbledore's eyes as if this had all just happened yesterday.

"Yes he was," Dumbledore nodded slowly. "The closest friend I'd had in all my years attending school…and my promise cost him his life. Jared was stealing the ingredients so as to secretly brew the potion we had been working on in class, and Patrick caught him in the act. Jared made sure that Patrick would never be able to tell what he knew to anyone ever again."

"How did he do it though?" Harry asked, his brow furrowed in thought. "How did he manage to get them to take the poison without them knowing?"

"That is where Victoria comes in," Dumbledore replied darkly, his eyes narrowing. "The evening before Patrick was found in his bed…he and I were in the library, studying. We'd been there nearly an hour, when someone came to our table…and it was Victoria. She was looking at Patrick, smiling as if he and she were good friends, and asked him if he had any spare parchment that she could borrow, rather than make the trip back to her common room to get her own. Now Patrick was just as surprised at her request as I, myself was, but he, just as a great many of the male students did, thought Victoria to be very beautiful. She had the deepest red hair and the darkest brown eyes I've ever seen to this day. Her skin was so fair, it only made her other features stand out more dramatically, and Patrick simply could not find it in him to refuse her request. Not that I blame him…I don't know what fifteen-year-old boy would ever have turned her down."

Dumbledore paused then, taking a moment to collect his thoughts, and Harry waited anxiously but quietly, until the head minister began speaking again.

"My mistake," the older man spoke gravely, "was not being more observant. Patrick opened his bag and sifted through it, finding a few spare sheets of parchment and handing them to Victoria, who promptly lost her grip on them. She knelt down immediately, laughing quietly about her clumsiness, and gathered the papers up again. When she stood once more, she smiled sweetly at Patrick and thanked him, before turning away and walking back across the library. What I never realized until much later, was that she did not pick up everything she dropped. When Victoria had come up to us, I noticed she had a bag of candy in her right hand…it was nearly empty. I thought nothing of this, however…and even later on, when Patrick and I were back in our common room…he offered me some candy from the end of a bag he'd forgotten he had, I declined, however, as I had eaten a late dinner, and Patrick finished off the end of the candy. I never put it together…"

"Why would you have?" Harry spoke quickly, feeling fully sickened upon hearing the story. "What reason would you ever have to believe Jared would give Patrick poison for simply seeing him in a hallway?"

"Perhaps there was no reason…and perhaps there was. I realize there is no way to change what has happened, Harry," Dumbledore said quietly. "I've argued the matter with myself more times than I can count…but the guilt I feel will never be completely gone."

Harry nodded faintly, knowing there was no way he could argue that statement, having felt the same way many times in his life, but feeling horribly for the former headmaster just the same.

"A complete search of the school was ordered immediately," Dumbledore spoke up, composing himself at once. "They found traces of the potion and the candy that it had been infused into in the trunks of both Adrik and Lilith. Neither student denied having committed the crime…so the ministry never searched for anything more. Adrik and Lilith were expelled…the case was closed."

"Was anything else done about it though?" Harry asked, almost expectantly. "I mean…they were accused of murdering two fellow students…wouldn't there be more done to them then just expelling them from the school?"

"Further action should have been taken, yes," Dumbledore nodded grimly. "However, Jared saw to it that his friends were not punished."

"How?" Harry asked, surprised.

"His father was the head minister of magic at that time, and made certain that no charges were brought against Adrik and Lilith after their expulsion."

"Why would he do that though?" Harry asked, taken aback. "They were Jared's friends…what difference would it make to him if they were punished or not?"

"Mr. Graham was always one to keep up appearances…and he was quite aware that Jared was truly the one responsible for Garrick and Patrick's deaths. He feared that if this news ever got out, his reputation, which appeared clean, would be tarnished, and he would lose the respect of his peers. He agreed to keep Adrik and Lilith from further punishment so long as Jared promised never to tell anyone the truth."

"How is it you know of this then?" Harry asked.

"Because Jared did not keep that promise," Dumbledore replied stiffly. "I knew what he and Victoria had done to Patrick…and I confronted him about it, demanding to know the truth."

"And he just told you?" Harry asked, incredulously.

"He loved to take credit for his work," Dumbledore replied darkly.

"What did you do?" Harry asked anxiously. "Did you tell anyone?"

"Immediately," Dumbledore nodded. "I went straight to the headmaster's office…telling him everything…only to be told I was mistaken."

"The headmaster was in on it as well?" Harry asked, confused.

"No," Dumbledore shook his head slowly. "It was merely Mr. Graham, taking precautionary measures in the event someone did discover the truth. He lied to the headmaster, saying that a rumor had been started, that Jared and Victoria were the ones responsible for the students' deaths. Headmaster Clayton assured him this rumor would be stopped at once if he heard anything of it going through the school, and assumed that is where my information came from."

"But…didn't you explain to him…I mean…Jared's the one who told you…"

"I did, of course," Dumbledore nodded. "Professor Clayton told me I needed to stop looking for trouble. Adrik and Lilith were not only accused but they confessed…there was no need to look into it any further as far as he was concerned."

"Even though there were now two murderers running loose in the school…" Harry stated angrily.

"He didn't believe this to be the case at all," Dumbledore replied. "And nothing I said changed his mind…" he trailed off, a look of regret passing over his features briefly before he continued. "The ministry has always had its corrupt members, Harry…as far back in time as it has existed."

"Then there was nothing you could have done then anyway," Harry said quietly.

"Not then, no," Dumbledore agreed, almost absently.

"What happened to them?" Harry asked after a few moments. "Jared and Victoria, I mean."

"They are dead," Dumbledore replied, rather quickly. "They have been for a long time."

Getting the impression that the head minister did not want to discuss that particular topic any further, Harry dropped the subject, continuing on with a new question.

"Do you know why Adrik's eyes are gone? And Lilith's…they've changed as well. I know they didn't look that way when I saw them through the Pensieve in your office all those years ago…"

"Yes I remember that day," Dumbledore nodded, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips before he became serious again. "The trial you witnessed happened on the day before the Lestranges were sent to Azkaban, but they spent that night in a smaller prison…a place where any criminals in the midst of standing trial are held. Nabakza. That is where Adrik lost his eyes, and where Lilith's were transformed."

"Did someone attack them?" Harry asked, thinking that could be the only explanation.

"No," Dumbledore replied, shaking his head faintly. "Prisoners are rarely allowed visitors while in Nabakza, but the Lestranges were granted this privilege on their last night there. Only one man came to see them, and they had dinner together under close supervision, after that the Lestranges were brought back to their cells, and no one saw either of them again until the next morning. They found Adrik lying on his cell floor, blood all over his hands…he had gouged out his eyes. Lilith, for her part, did not seem to be in any pain, though her eyes were clearly not as they had been the night before, you've seen what they look like now."

Harry nodded slowly, feeling a subtle chill run down his spine at the memory of both Adrik and Lilith's eyes.

"Why though?" he asked quietly. "Why would anyone do that to themselves?"

Dumbledore's gaze locked with Harry's for a long moment in the heavy silence, before he replied darkly.

"For the one reason that Adrik and Lilith do anything…Voldemort."

"But…Voldemort…at that time he was…" Harry stammered.

"Thought to be dead by most, yes," Dumbledore nodded. "What you must understand, and never forget, is that the Lestranges are loyal to Voldemort, with every last fiber of their being. They believe in him so strongly that they will endure the worst torture imaginable if they deem it necessary to ensure his power continues to grow. They will never deny him, or turn their backs on him."

Harry felt an involuntary shudder run through him at hearing the head minister's words, and had to clear the dryness from his throat before speaking again.

"How did their…actions…what they did to their eyes…how did that benefit Voldemort…?" he asked quietly.

"They were doing it to keep a watch on things, while they were in Azkaban," Dumbledore stated grimly. Harry narrowed his eyes in confusion, and the head minister continued on quickly. "Adrik refused, of course, to answer any questions as to why he did what he did, and Lilith gave no information either. The ministry is quite sure that whatever caused their actions, it was in some way related to the visitor they'd had the night before. Unfortunately, no one knew who he was, or where he came from. He gave the name Oren Norwood when he came to the prison, and despite the ministry's efforts, he was never found so that they could question him."

"Was he a death eater?" Harry asked, feeling he must be, if he was helping the Lestranges.

"It's possible," Dumbledore nodded faintly. "I can remember from when they were in school, there was a Slytherin by the name of Oren Alcott who occasionally would be seen speaking with Adrik and his friends, but mostly he stayed to himself, not caring for the company of others."

"It must have been him then," Harry said, quietly.

"I have a strong suspicion that it was," Dumbledore replied. "However, I did not see their mysterious visitor, so I cannot say for certain."

Harry signed inaudibly, realizing how complicated this all was.

"Then, we have no idea why Adrik really did that to himself?" he asked. "If neither he nor Lilith would tell anyone…"

"As I said before, he did it for Voldemort," Dumbledore replied gravely. "And after much time spent watching both Adrik and Lilith…and listening to them…the ministry has discovered just how useful the loss of his eyes was to him. Adrik can see a great deal more than the rest of us can."

"How?" Harry asked, barely whispering.

"It started with Lilith. He can see anything she sees. If either he or she touches another person, he can see through their eyes as well. He needed an outside person though…and that's where Oren comes in. Oren, I suspect, was traveling anywhere he could, so that Adrik could see what was happening while he was in Azkaban. That way, he could keep a watch over the other death eaters, the ones he considered traitors for not admitting their service to Voldemort. Another reason for this, I imagine, is so that he might be able to listen for information having to do with his master…hoping to discover what had truly become of him."

"So then if either he, Oren or Lilith touch someone, Adrik has the power to not only see through their eyes but hear what they say as well…even if they're nowhere near him?"

"That is what we believe, yes," Dumbledore nodded seriously.

Harry thought back to Halloween night, when Adrik had made sure Ron, Hermione and Mel were in the room, facing him. I like an audience, he'd said. Now Harry understood what he meant…

"How does he control it all though?" Harry asked, turning his eyes to Dumbledore once again. "I mean, with all those people…does it only last for a short while…or is he constantly seeing through all these other eyes?"

"For that, unfortunately, I do not have an answer," Dumbledore replied quietly. "We could only deduce so much by observing Adrik and Lilith in their cells, but I assume their must be some way to control it, or the burden of it all would drive him mad."

"I think he's already mad," Harry said darkly. He sat back against the couch with an inaudible sigh, feeling a dull aching in his head and wishing he knew more despite all the information he'd just received, when the abrupt sound of breaking glass caused him to look up sharply.

Harry was out of his seat in a flash, heading for the doorway to the office at the same moment as Dumbledore. Both men had their wands drawn, and were ready to attack any unwelcome guests as the head minister pushed the door open fully. However, as he took in the sight before him, Harry let out a silent sigh of relief, and lowered his wand.

Travis was on his knees, looking rather pale, a sheepish expression on his face as he glanced from his uncle to the glass littered on the floor in front of him. The Moontrimmer was leaning upside down against the desk next to him, the thick bristles speckled with tiny bits of glass as well.

"It was an accident…" the young man spoke timidly, his eyes looking imploringly up at his uncle.

"I'm sure it was," Dumbledore nodded, a tiny smile on his lips as he stepped closer to his nephew and knelt down near the mess. "Do you remember what we talked about?" he asked kindly. "About not trying to…"

"I wasn't trying to use it, honest!" Travis cut him off anxiously. "I was…I was just pretending…" he trailed off, glancing towards the broom beside him, becoming distracted. "I like to watch flying. I like quidditch." he said, a large grin spreading across his face, his worries temporarily forgotten.

"I know you do," Dumbledore replied, almost sadly as he lifted his wand again. Harry watched as the older wizard conjured a dark blue bag, and lifted the broken shards of what he assumed must've been the crystal ball that once sat on the desk into it, before standing quickly and waving his wand over the end of Harry's broom as well. When all the glass had been collected, Dumbledore tied the bag and dropped it into his pocket.

"I'm sorry," Harry said quietly as the head minister took hold of the broom and held it out to him. "I shouldn't have…"

"Do not worry yourself over it," Dumbledore cut in, chuckling softly. "I never much cared for that particular item anyway. A gift from Sybil several years ago…good for decoration only."

"That doesn't surprise me," Harry laughed, glancing again at Travis who was now occupying himself with a book that had been lying on a nearby table, watching and talking quietly to himself as the pictures moved on the page in front of him.

"He knows very well that operating a broom is something he cannot do," Dumbledore said softly, following Harry's gaze and nodding towards Travis. "Some things he remembers better than others, but if it comes to quidditch or anything related to flying, he retains it quite well."

"Is there anything…?" Harry began, trailing off and averting his eyes as he paused for a brief moment and began again. " I'm not saying that Travis' behavior is wrong or anything like that…but isn't there something we can do for him? To help him…well…get better?" Harry asked, hoping he wasn't sounding rude.

"I wish there were," Dumbledore replied, giving a small grin to show he wasn't offended in the least. "Unfortunately," he continued, "anything we could have done for Travis would had to have been done while he was still in his mother's womb. Since we did not meet either of them until after he was born, it was too late to help."

"I'm sorry," Harry replied, not sure what else to say, but truly feeling bad for Travis.

"Do not be," Dumbledore replied, shaking his head faintly. Travis is well loved by his family, and most of the time, is quite happy with what he has."

"Is it still alright that he come tomorrow morning?" Harry asked quietly.

"Of course," Dumbledore nodded. "As long as you don't mind. He will stay with you if you tell him too…just make sure you keep a close watch on him, as his mind wanders quite easily."

"I've noticed," Harry grinned.

"However, if he wants to go then he needs to get some sleep," Dumbledore continued, glancing at the large clock across the room.

"Wow…I didn't realize how late it was," Harry said quickly. "I need to get going…I hope the floo station is still open…" he trailed off, realizing he had no idea.

"Is that how you arrived tonight?" Dumbledore asked, arching a quizzical eyebrow.

"Well, I wasn't sure who to contact to open up a passage from the school…and I wanted to catch you before you left…" Harry explained, shrugging lightly. "I guess if it's closed for the night I could always just fly back to the school."

"That's quite a long way," Dumbledore said quietly. "And I do not believe it's a good idea that you travel it on your own."

Harry faced the head minister, knowing he was right, but wishing not to be treated like a child just the same. He was going to be on his own a lot, after all, now that he was no longer a student…they would just have to start trusting him to take care of himself. Before he could make any reply, however, the older wizard turned away and crossed the room to the fireplace.

Dumbledore drew his wand from his robes and whispered something that Harry couldn't make out, turning away a moment later as the flames rose up in the hearth, changing from orange, to violet, and back again.

"You can take the floo network from here," Dumbledore stated as he faced Harry once again. "It will bring you directly back to your quarters at the school."

"Thank you," Harry nodded, a small grin on his face.

"I plan on leaving this connected," Dumbledore continued. "So if you ever do need to get to me, you'll have a direct passage. There will be a password as well, to be safe, which I shall let you choose."

Glancing around quickly, Harry's eyes fell on the broom in his hand and he looked back up again.

"How about Moontrimmer?" he asked.

"Very well," Dumbledore nodded, smiling gently as he turned back to the fireplace and bringing up his wand again. Harry watched as another wave of purple flames rose up for several seconds, before returning to their original state.

"I am sorry to cut this short tonight," Dumbledore said as he looked at Harry once more. "We can continue this discussion another time, if you'd like."

"Thank you, and I'm sorry for coming so late…"

"Quite alright," Dumbledore grinned as Harry started towards him, coming to a stop in front of the hearth.

"See you tomorrow Travis," Harry called out, looking over his shoulder at the young man.

"Bye Harry!" Travis grinned, waving absently as he turned his attention back to the book on the floor.

"Goodnight Albus," Harry said, turning to the head minister yet again.

"Sleep well, Harry," Dumbledore nodded. "I will make sure Travis is there in time for the match tomorrow."

Harry nodded his thanks, before taking a handful of floo powder from the jar Dumbledore was offering to him. He threw it into the flames; calling out the password first, followed quickly by Hogwarts, and was promptly whisked off into the swirling mass of colors.

The next morning, Harry woke to the sound of rapidly fluttering wings, and rolled onto his back just in time for a rather large tawny owl to drop the Daily Prophet onto his head, before it swooped around and swiftly flew back out the open window.

Pushing the paper off to the side, Harry let out a large yawn, stretching his arms as far above his head as he could reach, before leaning over and grabbing his pocket watch from the bedside table.

His eyes widened anxiously as he realized how close to game time it was, and he flung off the covers, jumping out of bed and rushing to his closet. He dressed quickly; making sure to wear his Gryffindor robes for the occasion, and exited the room, half running. He realized he had no idea how Travis was going to be arriving…Dumbledore had said he'd make sure his nephew was there in time for the game, but for all Harry knew that could have meant he'd arrived hours ago. Deciding to stop into his office in case a message had been left for him, Harry jogged down the hallway and turned the corner, coming to a stop in front of the first doorway on his right, and pushing it open.

As he started across the room towards his desk, however, the fireplace suddenly rose up in a rush of green flames, and Harry turned his eyes away from the brightness for a brief moment, before looking back to see two people stepping into his office.

"Hi Harry!" Travis said excitedly as he waved his hand in the air.

"Hello Travis," Harry nodded, smiling widely, before turning his gaze to the woman standing just beside the young man. "Simone, is it?" Harry asked, hoping he'd remembered the woman's name correctly. He'd only seen her in Dumbledore's office once.

"Yes," Simone nodded with a small smile. "Good morning professor. Sorry to drop in unannounced, but the head minister said you were expecting his nephew this morning, and asked that I accompany him."

"Thank you," Harry nodded, glancing at Travis who was looking eagerly around the office. "All ready to see some quidditch today, Travis?" he grinned.

"When, right now? Right now?" Travis asked, nodding energetically.

"If we don't want to miss the first toss, then yes right now," Harry replied, looking quickly at Simone once more. "I'm so sorry to rush, but…"

"No apology necessary," Simone smiled. "I need to get back to the office anyway…" she trailed off, looking towards Travis, who seemed to have forgotten she was even there. "I'll be back for you this afternoon Travis."

"Bye," Travis grinned, barely sparing her a glance, and shifting his weight from one foot to the other, anxiously. Simone laughed in quiet amusement before looking back to Harry. "Is four o'clock too late?"

"That'll be fine," Harry grinned. He called out his goodbye to Simone as she headed back to the hearth, before he turned around, to find Travis already on his way out the door.

"Hey," Harry called out, trotting across the office and catching up to him. "I know you want to see the game," he said gently, "but you do have to stay with me, alright?"

"Sorry," Travis said quickly, but unable to keep a smile from his lips. Harry had to stifle a small laugh, and shook his head faintly, before stepping out into the corridor beside Travis and closing the door to his office behind them.

The two made their way through the empty halls of Hogwarts as quickly as possible. Harry had to keep pausing as Travis would stop and gawk at one thing or another as they moved through the corridors, reminding him the game was starting soon. When at last they came to the main entrance of the school, Harry pushed one of the great doors open and stepped aside, letting Travis come through, before leading the way down to the pitch.

As they came to the teachers' box, Harry groaned inwardly, when he saw who the only empty seats were next to…Troy. Sighing inaudibly, Harry started forward, telling Travis to stay close to him, as he made his way through the other professors and took a seat on the bench next to the redheaded instructor, deliberately avoiding eye contact. Travis sunk down in the space beside him, with the largest smile Harry had ever seen plastered on his face. They'd arrived at the exact moment the students had come out onto the pitch, lining up while Madam Pomfrey called the captains of both teams forward.

"Who's your friend?" Troy asked snidely, and Harry barely spared him a glance as he replied.

"None of your business."

"Oh, a bit touchy today, aren't we, Potter?" Troy remarked, smirking.

"His name is Harry," Travis spoke up, sounding as if he were correcting Troy, smiling helpfully.

"Right," Troy replied, disdainfully. "And what's yours?"

"My name is Travis Venable nice to meet you what's your name?" Travis replied all in one breath, smiling pleasantly, extending his hand over Harry and out to Troy.

Glancing contemptuously at Travis' hand, Troy looked away from the excited man and met Harry's eyes.

"Annoying, isn't he? Wherever did you find him?" he asked scornfully.

"He's Dumbledore's nephew, actually," Harry replied curtly, as Travis shrugged and turned his gaze back to the pitch. "And he's never seen a quidditch match, so please just be quiet and let us watch it," he snapped, not in the mood for this today.

"Dumbledore's nephew, ey?" Troy remarked, a curious smirk on his face as he leant forward to get a better look at Travis, who was beaming happily as the two teams finally rose into the air. When Madam Hooch tossed the quaffle high above her head, Travis let out an excited whoop, and Troy stifled an arrogant laugh.

"If he's Dumbledore's nephew why is this his first quidditch game?" the redheaded professor asked snidely. "And why is he acting like he's five?"

"Why do you care?" Harry asked, not wanting to give Troy any information whatsoever about Travis, and trying to pay attention to the game. Gryffindor had taken an early lead over Hufflepuff, and Harry really wanted to pay attention to the techniques his team was using this year.

"What does it matter why I care?" Troy countered. "Why are you being so secretive?"

"I'm not being secretive, I'm trying to watch the match," Harry replied curtly, turning his gaze as far away from Troy as possible while keeping his eyes on the players. He could completely understand why this was the last available place to sit, none of the other professors except for Snape seemed to care much for Troy.

Miraculously, Troy made no reply to Harry's comment, though he could feel the transfiguration professor staring at him for a long moment, until he finally looked away, turning his attention to the game taking place before them.

For over an hour, the two teams kept the game going, Gryffindor never losing its lead. Harry could see Su scanning the playing field carefully, alert and ready to go for the snitch at the smallest sign of its presence, and finally that time arrived.

The Hufflepuff team had just managed to score a goal, and were mostly gathered near the Gryffindor end of the field, when all of a sudden, Su, who'd been hovering mid-field, thrust her broom forward, streaking towards the opposite end of the pitch. She slanted down in the slightest, swooping around the goal posts at the Hufflepuff end, their seeker madly trying to catch up to her, but he wasn't fast enough. Su spiraled around the center post, moving quickly towards the ground, and rose into the air with at least fifteen feet to spare, holding the snitch triumphantly in her left hand.

Harry and Travis both jumped up from their seats, cheering loudly along with the shouts and applause of the crowd around them. Travis was so excited he couldn't stop from jumping up and down where he stood, nearly overbalancing before Harry's hands shot forward, pulling him back near his seat.

"Did you like it?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes I liked it yes it was fun!" Travis shouted joyfully, whooping with excitement yet again, and Harry could only laugh, happy for him.

"C'mon," he said pleasantly after another moment, feeling Troy stand up next to him and not wanting to give him another opportunity for conversation. "I'll introduce you to the team."

After fighting their way through the throngs of excited students, Harry and Travis finally made it to where the Gryffindor team stood, laughing and joking with their housemates. Harry moved slowly through the crowd, congratulating the team for their excellent job, and making sure to introduce the ever-anxious Travis to each of them. By the time he made it to where Ginny stood, speaking pleasantly with a chaser from the Hufflepuff team, the students had started thinning out, making their way back to the school.

"Harry!" Ginny cried elatedly the second she spotted him coming towards her. She hastily excused herself from the discussion and ran towards him.

"You did it," he said happily, smiling widely as she threw her arms around his neck in excitement. "I told you you'd make a fantastic captain," he grinned when she'd stepped back a pace.

"Thank you," she blushed, modestly. "I was so nervous though! I can't remember being this nervous since my first game as a chaser!" she gushed, breathlessly.

"You didn't look it though," Harry smiled. "I couldn't see any difference. You all did a great job out there today."

"Yeah! Great job!" Travis piped up from a few paces away, faintly bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet.

"Thanks," Ginny replied, smiling hesitantly.

"Sorry," Harry said quickly, motioning towards his friend. "This is Travis Venable. Travis, this is Ginny Weasley…she's the captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team."

"Nice to meet you, Travis," Ginny grinned, extending her hand towards the sandy-haired man. Travis reached forward and gripped her hand in his, shaking a bit roughly and smiling down at her.

"Nice to meet you too, I have to go to the bathroom."

Harry was barely able to stifle the laughter threatening to burst forward as Ginny's eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped at Travis' very casually spoken statement.

"C'mon," Harry said, unable to stop from smiling. "You can use the ones in the locker room…"

Travis nodded eagerly as he followed Harry the short distance to the locker room, Ginny walking along with them, a curious expression on her face. She waited outside as Harry showed Travis where the stalls were, before coming back out to wait with her.

"So where do you know him from?" she asked gently.

"He's Dumbledore's nephew," Harry replied, going on to briefly explain about his condition.

"Oh that's so sad," Ginny stated softly.

"Albus says he's happy though," Harry said quietly. "That's really all that matters…" he trailed off as Ginny's gaze shifted to something behind him, and he turned to see Devon strolling by, munching contently on a bag of Bertie Bott's Beans.

"Don't have too many of those," Ginny called out, in a voice which very closely resembled a motherly tone. "Got it?" she added with a playful wink. Devon, who had looked startled at first at being addressed by Ginny, smiled faintly and nodded, before continuing on his way.

"Looking out for our first-years, Mother Weasley?" Harry smirked, arching a questioning eyebrow.

"I look out for all the younger students," Ginny shot back with a grin. "But I just don't want him to get himself sick again," she continued, her expression turning serious.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked quickly. "When was he sick?"

"On Halloween," Ginny replied. "He must've had too much candy at the feast, because later on in the common room, he didn't feel well. He lost all the color in his face…he was just too pale, but at the same time he looked almost green, like he was going to be sick. Sloane finally took him down to the hospital wing…"

"Do you remember when this was?" Harry asked immediately.

"Um…not exactly," Ginny shrugged, apologetically. "It wasn't long before Sirius and Dumbledore showed up, I remember that…but I can't remember the exact time…" she paused, her eyes narrowing quizzically before continuing. "Why? What are you thinking?"

"I don't know," Harry replied with a shrug, sighing inaudibly. "It's probably nothing…I mean, it's not as if it would be unusual for a student to have an upset stomach on Halloween."

"Especially after the feast they give us here," Ginny nodded, knowingly.

"I'm here!" Travis' voice cut in happily as he came rushing back out of the locker room. "I'm here! Can I see more flying?"

"Well the game's over, Travis…" Harry began gently.

"I can fly around the pitch a few times," Ginny offered with a small grin. "If that's alright with you, I mean…"

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, smirking lightly. "What about the celebration in the common room?"

"You know very well how long that will be going on," Ginny laughed. "I'm not worried about missing it."

"Alright," Harry nodded, seeing Travis' face light up with excitement. "Let's go back to the pitch."

As they were walking, Ginny spotted Su heading past, towards the locker rooms and stopped her, talking her into staying out a bit longer. The two of them mounted their brooms and flew high into the air while Harry and Travis took seats on the nearest benches. Travis could only smile with delight as he watched the two students perform stunts in the air, and Harry couldn't help but feel happy for him.

The minutes ticked by, and Harry pulled his cloak tighter around him as a particularly strong gust of wind whipped though his hair. The wintry chill in the air was obviously felt by Travis as well, and he shivered visibly in the seat beside Harry.

"Ready to go in?" Harry asked.

"Just a few more minutes?" Travis replied, hopefully.

"Alright," Harry laughed. "Ten minutes."

Travis only nodded quickly in response, the large smile returning to his face as he fixed his gaze once more on Ginny and Su. Harry grinned, enjoying the time he was spending with Travis, and hoping to be able to do this again for him sometime, when the sound of nearby, approaching footsteps caused him to glance up suddenly, turning to look behind him.

"Hey Harry," Ron grinned as he came up beside his friend.

"What are you doing here?" Harry smiled back, standing up.

"Meeting Hermione…didn't she tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Harry asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What's going on?"

"That's what I'm here to find out," Ron shrugged. "She sent me an owl while I was at practice today to meet here at four o'clock. I ran into Professor Sprout when I arrived, and she said she thought you were still out here…so here I am…"

Harry pulled out his watch quickly, seeing it was just after three.

"Well we have a little while yet before she comes," he said, slipping the piece back into his pockets. Taking a quick glance at Travis to make sure he was still enjoying the show, Harry nodded to Ron to step a few paces away from the benches before continuing. "What did the letter say?" he whispered.

"You didn't get one?" Ron asked.

"I might have," Harry replied quickly. "I was in too much of a hurry when I got up today…I never really checked to see if anything arrived in my office."

"Well it didn't say much," Ron stated flatly. "Just that she wanted me to be here to meet her at four…I guess I assumed she sent one to you as well, or why else would we come here?"

"Hey you two!" another familiar voice called out to them.

"Mel!" Harry said, both happy and surprised to see her there.

"Sorry I'm late," she said quickly as she finally reached the two wizards, and Harry pulled her into a warm hug before stepping back slightly.

"Late?" Ron repeated. "We have over a half an hour."

"But…Hermione said three o'clock…"

"No she said four," Ron laughed. "Count on Hermione to think ahead…we all know how good you are about being on time."

"I'm not that bad…" Mel began, pretending to be insulted.

"No of course you're not," Harry said, with false sympathy.

Mel shook her head and rolled her eyes, as she crossed her arms over her chest. She glanced away from Harry and Ron, her gaze falling upon Travis, who was still sitting on the bench just short distance away.

"Who's he?" she asked, nodding towards the sandy-haired man, as he started clapping suddenly when Ginny and Su at last began to head down. "He doesn't look young enough to be a student."   
"He isn't one," Harry replied quietly. "That's Dumbledore's nephew, Travis."

"Oh yeah," Ron nodded quickly. "Hermione mentioned him…she said you both met him when you went to the ministry…and that Thurston didn't care for him, as surprising as that is…" he trailed off, sardonically.

"Why doesn't Thurston like him?" Mel asked.

"Because he's a muggle," Harry whispered, seeing Ginny, Su and Travis coming towards them, and smiling.

"Have fun?" he asked as Travis neared him.

"Lots," Travis nodded happily, noticing Ron and Mel standing nearby. "Hi my name is Travis Venable, nice to meet you," he said, holding his hand out to Mel.

"Nice to meet you Travis," Mel grinned, shaking his hand lightly. "I'm Mel Tristen."

"And I'm Ron Weasley," Ron spoke up as Travis turned to him.

"And I'm confused," Ginny said, raising an eyebrow at her brother. "What are you doing here? I thought you had practice today…"

"I guess I left early then, didn't I?" Ron replied teasingly, grinning at his sister.

"But why? I know it wasn't to see the game…I didn't see you in the crowd…" Ginny pressed.

"Aren't you missing a victory celebration?" Ron asked. "I know Gryffindor didn't lose to Hufflepuff, even with you as the new team captain…"

"Ouch…that was harsh, Ron," Mel said, cringing as Ginny glared darkly at her older brother.

"Alright, before you two kill each other," Harry spoke up, taking Ginny by the arm and directing her back towards the school. "I need to be back in my office soon anyway…Simone will be back to get Travis shortly." Ginny looked at Harry, obviously knowing something was up and not wanting to be left out.

"I don't know what's going on yet Gin," Harry said quietly. "I promise I'll talk to you later…just go enjoy the party for now, okay?" he grinned slightly.

She nodded faintly, and started off with Su, who was looking at the group curiously but remaining quiet, as the two started off up the hill.

"You know, a little support for your sister won't kill you," Harry remarked sarcastically as he turned back to the others.

"Oh c'mon, she knows I was only joking," Ron shrugged with a grin.

"Sure she does," Harry rolled his eyes, before glancing around nearby, seeing Travis ambling back towards the pitch. "C'mon Travis," he called out pleasantly. "Your uncle will be waiting for you…we have to head back."

"Can I see another game tomorrow?" Travis asked, hopefully, looking very much like he'd rather stay there.

"There aren't any games tomorrow," Harry said apologetically, moving towards his friend and gently beginning to direct him back up the hill. "But if your uncle says it's alright maybe you can come to the next game…"

"When?" Travis interrupted excitedly.

"Well Gryffindor plays again in February, so probably then," Harry grinned.

Travis quickly brought up his hand and began counting on his fingers.

"That's in three months!" he exclaimed quickly.

"That's right," Harry nodded, "Not too long, right?"

Travis looked skeptical at this, shaking his head quickly.

"Three months is a long time…" he said quietly.

"It'll come soon enough," Harry laughed, as the four entered the school at last, Mel and Ron tagging along just behind Harry and Travis, listening to the conversation. They made their way through the halls quickly, heading to Harry's office, and coming to a dead stop the moment they reached the last corridor.

"This feels familiar," Ron remarked suspiciously.

Several feet away, directly in front of Harry's office, was the Bloody Baron.

"Who's that?" Travis yelled, pointing down the hallway, and not taking his eyes off the ghost. Harry didn't reply, intending to talk to the Baron right now and find out what was going on. Before he could make it even two steps, however, the ghost immediately turned and floated up the hall, gliding silently through the wall at the end of the corridor, and out of sight.

"Dammit," Harry muttered under his breath, knowing it would be useless to try to find the baron now. He turned around to face his friends again, finding Travis staring past him in wide-eyed wonder.

"It's alright, he's gone now," Harry said gently.

"Who was that?" Travis asked again, looking at the wall the ghost had just gone through, in hopes of catching another glimpse.

"We call him the baron," Harry said, not wanting to tell Travis the full name of the Slytherin ghost.

"Why is he hanging out around your office all the time?" Ron asked darkly.

"This is only the second time," Harry began.

"That you know of," Mel cut in quickly. "He might be here every day…and maybe he's not the only one…"

"A bit paranoid, aren't you?" Ron joked.

"Wouldn't you be?" Mel countered defensively. "Why would the Slytherin ghost be seen hovering outside the office of the head of Gryffindor? Why did Peeves sound like he was looking for someone that first time? We should tell McGonagall…"

"Tell her what though?" Harry asked with a shrug as he turned and started towards his office, the others following quickly. "The baron was outside my door twice, but we didn't find anyone in the office the first time…" he trailed off, pushing open the office door and peering inside. "Looks like there's no one here this time either," he added, stepping into the room and glancing around.

No sooner had Harry finished speaking, then the flames in the hearth turned a brilliant green, and Simone stepped out into the office.

"Oh good, you're here," she smiled, seeing Harry and Travis standing near the door. "I was afraid I'd be too early."

"Nope, right on time," Harry grinned back, stepping forward while Travis looked up, reluctantly.

"C'mon then Travis," Simone said cheerfully, despite the stubborn expression on the younger man's face. "Your uncle is waiting for you."

"It's okay Travis," Harry smiled gently, seeing him appear as though he didn't intend on moving. "Go on back, I told you if your uncle says it's alright, you can come again for the next game…I promise."

Travis nodded faintly, looking glum as he slowly moved towards Simone.

"Thank you for looking after him, Harry," Simone said with a short nod.

"My pleasure," Harry grinned. "See you later, Travis," he called out after his friend.

"Bye Harry," Travis replied, a tiny smile touching his lips. He waved once as he and Simone stepped towards the hearth, and took the floo network, together, back to the ministry building.

"Can we go see McGonagall now?" Mel spoke up the second they were gone.

"Mel what would I even tell her?" Harry asked, lightly tossing up his hands as he spoke.

"That the Bloody Baron is behaving strangely?" Mel suggested, as if it should be obvious.

"What if it's something Snape has put him up to though?" Harry said quickly. "He's the head of Slytherin, after all…if the baron speaks to anyone it's probably him. If I told McGonagall and she traced it back to Snape it would only seem like I was telling on him, and I don't need him to be any more upset with me than he already is…I'd like to learn to use the crystals sometime this century, if possible."

"You're stretching with that one, Harry," Mel stated flatly. "Snape may not like you, but he's never seemed the type for prank-playing."

"Alright, I know," Harry said quickly. "But I just don't see a reason to worry anyone over this yet…if I ever find someone or something in my office, then I'll go to McGonagall…but for the ghosts just hovering around in front of my door…I don't see a reason to sound the alarm for that."

"But Harry, what…what if it's the Shadow Walkers?" Mel asked, at last. "You probably wouldn't be able to see them in here when you first come in…"

"It isn't," Harry said, shaking his head slowly. "The one thing that was made very clear to me about the cult is that they do not like to wait…if it was them, they'd have shown themselves already."

"Fine, so if it isn't them, who is it?" Mel asked, sounding exasperated and rushing on quickly. "The truth is, we don't know…we don't have any idea…so we should tell someone about it that way we stop something from happening before it starts!"

"If it happens again, I will," Harry replied quickly, wanting to end the discussion.

"You're far too stubborn sometimes, you know that?" Mel asked, a hint of anger in her tone as she stalked across the room towards the desk. Harry stared after her for a moment, turning briefly to glance at Ron, who held up his hands defensively, indicating he was not getting involved in this argument. As he turned back to Mel, however, there was a loud knock on the door, before it was pushed open and Hermione strode into the room.

"Good, you all came," she said quickly, taking a quick glance around the office. "C'mon, there's someone we have to talk to, right now…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Ron said immediately as Hermione began to turn away. "Aren't you at least going to tell us what this is about?" he asked. "You sent us all rather vague owls…"

"Well, except me," Harry said quickly.

"You didn't get one?" Hermione asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, I just got the Daily Prophet when I…"

"Harry?" Mel's voice cut in softly, causing him to turn towards her. She reached down to a loosely rolled parchment on the corner of his desk and held it up. "You did get one."

"Oh," Harry replied, but shrugged it off quickly. "Well I never got a chance to read through any mail today…I was in too much of a hurry when…"

"It's open."

"What?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"It's open," Mel repeated slowly. "Your letter, it was lying on your desk…opened."

Harry crossed to where Mel stood; gently taking the letter from her grasp and looking at the deep purple ribbon that had been tied around it, indicating the message was urgent.

"Maybe it just got loosened by the owl that delivered it," he suggested after a moment.

"Or maybe someone was in your office, saw you had an urgent owl and opened it to see what was going on," Mel stated evenly.

"Who though? None of the other teachers would do that…well, maybe Troy…" Harry trailed off, thoughtfully. "But why would he care what was in my mail?"

"What's going on?" Hermione asked curiously, sensing there was more to this than just the opened letter.

"The Bloody Baron was outside Harry's office again today," Ron replied, "just a few minutes ago."

"Maybe he went through my mail," Harry joked.

"No, last time they seemed like they couldn't get in…" Hermione began.

"I was kidding," Harry interrupted flatly, tossing the letter back on the desk and sighing. "Alright, I'll try to figure this out later, let's just go talk to…whoever it is you've found…do you plan on telling us?" he asked.

"He's one of my instructors," Hermione said quickly, her eyes widening as she glanced up at the large clock. "And we're supposed to be there right now," she said quickly, turning for the door. Ron simply shrugged, following his girlfriend out of the office a second later. Harry turned to look at Mel, who shook her head faintly as she stalked past him in silence, following the others. Sighing in frustration, Harry crossed the room quickly, and stepped out into the corridor, shutting the door behind him, and heading down the hallway after his friends.

Twenty minutes later, the four friends were stepping out of a large grate in the lobby of the Wizarding University. Harry glanced around as Hermione quickly began leading the way down a well-lit corridor, noticing it had a much newer feel than Hogwarts did. The walls were smooth and soft looking compared to the rough, dark stones of Hogwarts, and there were a great deal more candles lining the halls as well.

"Alright we're here," Ron said, jogging to catch up to Hermione, Harry and Mel close behind. "Do you plan on telling us anything about why you've brought us here before we meet your professor? Why do we need to talk with him?"

Hermione tilted her head closer to Ron's before replying in barely more than whisper.

"Because he knows about the Lestranges…he knows a lot."

"Why all the secrecy then?" Harry asked quietly. "Couldn't you have said that in your letters?"

"No, and for two reasons," Hermione said quickly. "One is because I didn't want anyone else to know what was going on if the owls didn't reach you…which in your case was a good thing," she paused, glancing pointedly at Harry. "And two, my professor does not like to talk about anything other than class work with his students. The only reason he even agreed to talk to us is because I mentioned your name."

"Mine?" Harry asked, wide-eyed.

"Of course yours," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes and quickening her pace after glancing at an old clock in one of the rooms just off the hallway. "He was trying to get me out of his office and I said it wasn't just for me…that I needed to know what he could tell me about Adrik and Lilith because they had attacked you. That's what made him stop to consider, and told me he'd only discuss it once, and only if you came in person. So I set up this meeting right away."

"What made you decide to ask him in the first place?" Mel asked, curiously.

"I was asking all of my instructors," Hermione shrugged gently. "For the most part, none of them knew anything that I couldn't already find in a book…" she trailed off as they came to a halt in front of a large wooden doorway that was cracked slightly open. Reaching forward, Hermione pushed the heavy door fully open, to see a very old looking man fastening a woolen cloak around his neck.

"Professor, I'm so sorry we're late!" Hermione gushed, taking a few steps into the room.

"Late," the short man replied flatly. "You were supposed to be here half an hour ago."

"I know, and I apologize," Hermione said quietly. "Please don't leave yet…this is truly important…"

The portly professor made no reply, staring at Hermione for a long moment in silence, before finally removing his cloak slowly, and hanging it back up.

"Very well, but not too long Miss Granger," he said sternly, before turning away and glancing at the door. "You four were the ones attacked on Halloween?" he asked, motioning for them to come into the office.

"Yes, but it was Harry they were there for," Hermione spoke up quietly as the professor stepped towards the small group.

"Harry," the man said slowly, his eyes finding the young wizard's scar and lingering there for a long moment, before finally lowering his gaze to Harry's eyes. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Harry Potter," he said firmly, extending his hand.

"It's very nice to meet you too," Harry replied, feeling the older man grip his hand tightly. "Professor…?" he trailed off, hoping for a name.

"Professor Alcott," the older man replied. Harry felt his body go stiff at once and pulled his hand back instinctively, narrowing his eyes at the white-haired man.


	8. Chapter 8

"Not as in…Oren Alcott?" Harry asked, suspiciously.

"Who?" his friends asked at once, in unison, but he didn't respond, keeping his gaze on the old man.

"Where did you hear that name?" the professor asked slowly, arching a quizzical eyebrow. "What do you know of Oren?"

"I know he was a friend of the Lestranges," Harry replied curtly, his green eyes never wavering from Alcott's dark brown ones, as he continued on in an accusing tone. "And from what Hermione has told us, you know a great deal about them…"

"That I do," the professor nodded, ignoring Harry's obvious distrust. "And you are correct, Oren was a friend of both Adrik and Lilith, and most certainly he still is…though, I am not him. My name is Caleb…Oren is my brother. He and I chose quite different paths, and I have not spoken to him for almost 20 years now…." he trailed off, his expression still curious as he continued on quietly. "If you know about Oren, then you must know about the Lestranges as well…and I wonder why you should need my help…"

"I only just found out a little about them last night," Harry said quickly, still not sure he could trust the professor.

"Where did you find your information?" Caleb asked. "From who?"

Harry hesitated a short moment, before replying.

"Albus Dumbledore."

"Ah yes," Caleb chuckled softly, "he would definitely be an accurate source, as he knows quite a bit about the Lestranges." Turning away, the professor shuffled quickly back across the room towards his desk, motioning for the others to take seats as he lowered himself into his own chair.

"Tell me," he began with a slight smirk, "what did Albus tell you of them?"

Glancing around him, Harry saw his friends all staring at him questioningly as well, waiting almost anxiously for him to answer. Remembering the conversation as best he could, Harry went over all that Dumbledore had told him the previous night, leaving nothing unsaid. When he was finished, his friends stared at him in stunned silence, while Caleb nodded faintly, a grim expression on his face.

"I see Albus has told you much, indeed," the professor mused quietly.

"Yes," Harry replied, "But not everything."

"I doubt you will find anyone that does know everything," Caleb said with a small chuckle. "But as I promised Miss Granger, if you have any questions for me, now is the time to ask. I will answer whatever I can."

Harry glanced towards Hermione who nodded faintly, urging him on. She obviously trusted Alcott enough, so Harry cleared his throat softly before beginning to speak.

"Professor Dumbledore told me a little about the powers Adrik and Lilith received the night before they went to Azkaban…"

"Their new vision, you mean?" Caleb interrupted, his eyes growing suddenly dark and narrow.

"Yes," Harry nodded, hesitantly. "I was wondering if you might be able to tell me a bit more about it."

"Indeed I can," the professor nodded grimly. "The double sight, as we called it, belonged to Oren and I. We were born with it…we are twins, you see, and this was something we shared. When he transferred some of our gift to the Lestranges…well it was the last straw, for me, in our already strained relationship…I haven't spoken to him since that day."

"Wait, if you and Oren share the sight…" Harry began, beginning to feel nervous.

"Can he see what you're seeing?" Ron finished for him, the anxiety he was feeling coming through in his voice.

"Only if I allow him to," Caleb replied, a look of understanding in his eyes. "Don't worry, Mr. Potter…I'm not giving away your location to any unwanted admirers of yours…" he trailed off, a small grin on his face.

Harry regarded the older man with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, giving a curt nod in response as the professor began speaking again.

"When we were younger, Oren and I would use our power to play harmless pranks on our instructors, our parents, and our friends…if we were in trouble, it was a silent call for help, if we were lost, it was our way home. It was our connection beyond that of normal twins…and it was ours alone," Caleb spoke softly, a nostalgic look in his eyes before a stony, cold anger seeped in, and he continued on.

"When Oren and I attended Hogwarts, he was sorted into Slytherin, and I into Hufflepuff. At first, while we were unhappy about being separated, it didn't affect our relationship…our friendship…not until he began spending time with Adrik, Lilith, Jared and Victoria. It wasn't often they allowed him into their circle, but he was one of the few they spoke with of all the other students, whom they considered to be inferior. As time passed, he became increasingly like them, uncaring, cruel…heartless. He hated me because of the house I'd been sorted into, because to be in any house besides Slytherin was a sign of weakness in their eyes…I was an embarrassment to Oren."

"I'm sorry," Harry said softly, as an awkward silence had settled over the room.

"Don't be," Caleb spoke up sharply. "I do not ask for nor do I want anyone's pity. Oren made his choice, and I stopped caring what happened to him a long time ago."

Harry simply nodded, agreeing with the professor, but more so to placate his temper…for Caleb's eyes clearly stated otherwise. The older man still harbored the hope…the need, no matter how deeply he'd buried it, that his brother would one day become his brother again.

"I apologize, I'm getting off-track," Caleb said suddenly. "By the time school had finished, Oren had become quite good friends with the four Slytherins he admired so well. Once Adrik and Lilith were expelled, Jared and Victoria let him tag along with them a great deal more than they had previously…and the five of them remained friends long after graduation. As for me, my own relationship with my brother never fully recovered, and even though things were better once we didn't have the separation of houses hanging over our heads, we could never return to the way things had been. Our double sight was all but forgotten, as we hadn't used it throughout our time at school, and once that was finished, we didn't care to use it much anyway."

"Did either of you ever try to use it again?" Mel spoke up softly.

"Only once," Caleb replied, grimly. "Over eighty years ago. Oren tried to use the power to spy, to gather information about certain ministry defenses at that time…I knew immediately, of course. We could always sense each other no matter what the circumstances…he knew this, yet he tried anyway. I suppose he believed his reasons to be worth the risk, but I did not appreciate his actions in the least. I closed him off forever on that day…I haven't used the sight since then…and I never will again."

For the second time, an awkward silence filled the office, and Harry could see how heavily talking about his past was weighing on the professor. Deciding to try to bring the discussion back to its original purpose, he asked a new question.

"You said Oren transferred some of his power to Adrik and Lilith that night in Nabakza…but what I don't understand is, why did Adrik have to lose his eyes?"

"Because it wasn't his power," Caleb replied, a hint of bitterness in his tone. "Adrik asked this favor of Oren, and my brother was all too willing to comply. He of course never asked me if I would mind…because my feelings played no part in this. All that mattered, were Adrik and Lilith…and my brother has never shown anything besides the strongest loyalty to them."

"Adrik didn't have a choice then?" Hermione asked. "There was no way to transfer the power without him having to lose his eyes?"

"No, there was no way," Caleb shook his head. "When a witch or wizard is born with a gift, an uncommon gift, they can choose, if they so desire, to share it with others. The receiving party must be willing, but in most occasions, they must make a sacrifice as well. Such was the case for Adrik, he had to sacrifice his eyes to gain the gift of double sight."

"What about Lilith though?" Harry asked. "She still has her eyes."

"Lilith did not receive the gift in the way that Adrik did. She is like a receptor for him; he sees everything that she does. The purpose of the entire experiment was so Adrik could keep watch on the outside world while he was in Azkaban. Oren offered his gift as a solution to the problem and Adrik accepted. Lilith was only brought into it in the event something happened to Oren during his travels, so Adrik would not be blind, but as it turned out, there was an interesting side effect that worked in Adrik's favor. He was only supposed to have been able to see through either Oren or Lilith's eyes…instead, he can see through the eyes of anyone he is near…or anyone he touches. I assume he must be able to control it with precise accuracy, or it would be an overload to his mind…"

"That's what Albus thought as well," Harry nodded silently.

"That comes as no surprise," Caleb said, chuckling softly. "Albus was always watching that group throughout school, and much after, I'd imagine. He especially disliked Jared though, after what happened with his friend."

Harry nodded somberly, clearly recalling the guilt that had shown through in the head minister's eyes when he spoke of Patrick.

"Do you know what happened to them?" Hermione spoke up. "Jared and Victoria, I mean. Why were they never brought to Azkaban?"

"And what about Oren?" Ron chimed in. "Why was he free to visit Adrik and Lilith while they were convicted and sent to prison?"

"Well for Oren, the reason is simply that no one knew much of him. Just as while they were in school, he wasn't seen as part of their circle, it appeared that way afterwards as well. No one really suspected Oren because no one knew the true level of his involvement. When the ministry began conducting the trials, making arrests, Oren's name was never mentioned due to the fact that a great many of the death eaters never knew he was a part of their ranks. The ones that did know were the ones that remained loyal to their master…and would turn none of their allies in."

"Lucky for him," Ron remarked sardonically.

"I would say so," Caleb nodded. "But for Jared and Victoria, the story ended quite differently. They both died, many, many years before the trials ever took place."

"How did they die?" Harry asked. Caleb seemed to consider for a moment, stroking the white-gray stubble on his chin thoughtfully, before replying.

"I do not know all the details as to Victoria's death. I know she died not long after giving birth to her second child, but I do not know the circumstances surrounding the incident. What I do know, is that she was murdered."

"Murdered?" Harry repeated, shocked. "And you have no idea who did it?"

"Not even an inkling," Caleb replied.

"What about Jared, wouldn't he have known?" Harry pressed. "Weren't they…?"

"In love? Yes, I believe they were, their idea of love, anyway," Caleb answered with a faint nod. "But I was not a friend of either Jared or Victoria, so I didn't have any opportunity to speak with him on the matter. Other than that, very little about the incident was printed in any paper after the initial shock had worn off. No known suspects…it was left as an unsolved mystery."

"Do you know what happened to Jared?" Harry asked after another moment. "Albus said he died as well…"

"Quite correct, and I'm sure Albus would know," Caleb replied evenly, but there was something else in his tone, and Harry didn't fail to miss it.

"What do you mean?" he asked quietly. "Why would Albus know?"

Caleb smiled knowingly, his gaze locking with Harry's.

"He didn't tell you, I'm sure he has his reasons…"

"Tell me what?" Harry cut in. "What happened to Jared, was he murdered too?"

"He died before his time, yes…" the old man nodded as he spoke, "but not many would consider what happened to him murder."

"What did happen to him?" Harry asked, barely hiding the anxiety in his voice.

"Please tell us professor," Hermione spoke up. "How did Jared die? And when?"

Caleb let his eyes wander over the four eager faces in front of him, smirking softly, until his gaze came back to rest on Harry.

"I promised I would answer your questions, and I will…" he said slowly and firmly, "let this be the last one."

Harry nodded quickly, waiting anxiously to hear what the older man would tell them.

"Jared died fifty-four years ago," the professor began evenly, "in a fierce duel with another wizard, one who had opposed him for a great deal of his life. That wizard, is Albus Dumbledore."

"No, Dumbledore wouldn't…he wouldn't kill anyone…" Harry began at once, all the doubt he'd felt at the beginning of the discussion rushing back to him. Caleb stared solemnly at him from across the desk, his expression unreadable and unmoving, and Harry shook his head, getting ready to stand, when Hermione's voice cut in, a shocked whisper.

"Harry…wait…think about it…fifty-four years ago…" she murmured, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Harry turned his questioning gaze on Hermione, trying to think of what could be so significant about that time. The realization hit him just seconds later, and he felt his jaw drop as Caleb's voice filled his ears once more.

"What Miss Granger is trying to tell you, I believe, is that Albus Dumbledore did indeed take Jared Graham's life fifty-four years ago…only at that time, he wasn't Jared Graham…he was known and feared by all, as the dark wizard Grindelwald."

Countless questions raced through Harry's mind, but he couldn't find the voice to ask even one as he sat, gaping at the older professor. It was only when Caleb pushed his chair back from his desk and reached for his cloak, that Harry was snapped back to the present.

"Wait!" he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. "Please…can you tell us anything else? There's so much we still don't know-"

"I've told you all I know," Caleb interrupted briskly, once again fastening the heavy cloak around his neck.

"But…Grindelwald…why?" Harry stammered, all of his thoughts a jumble in his head. "Why wouldn't Albus tell me that's who Jared was?"

"I'm not a mind reader, so I cannot answer your question," Caleb replied, a small grin on his lips. "Whatever the reasons for Albus' secrecy, they are his alone. Perhaps it is simply a memory he does not care to relive…and understandably so. The duel nearly claimed his life."

Harry closed his eyes, not wanting to imagine Dumbledore so close to death. He had always thought of the head minister as the strongest wizard alive, and no matter what came at him, whatever obstacles he was forced to cross, that one constant always remained true in his mind.

"I apologize for being so short," Caleb's voice cut through his thoughts, "but I've already stayed longer than I'd intended, and I must be on my way." He had already crossed the room, and was standing at the doorway, waiting for them to leave so he could lock up. Glancing around at his friends, Harry saw his own confusion and surprise mirrored in their expressions, but no one pressed the matter further. They thanked Caleb for his time, and one by one, exited the office.

Just as Harry was stepping through the door, however, he felt the old man take hold of his arm, and he paused, looking hopefully into the dark brown eyes.

"Be careful, Mr. Potter," he stated with utter sincerity. "Whatever Adrik and Lilith have planned for you, it will most certainly be unpleasant…never let your guard down."

Harry stared at the man for a long moment, before nodding faintly and heading out after his friends. He still had no idea what he thought of Caleb. The four friends walked together, Hermione leading the way back down the halls to the main lobby, and the grate they had arrived in. Moments later, they stepped out into the floo station in Hogsmeade.

"What do we do now?" Ron spoke up quietly as the four of them stepped out onto the well-lit street. It was early evening, so there were still plenty of people about, shopping and such.

"Should we talk to Dumbledore?" Mel suggested.

"And say what?" Harry asked with a defeated shrug. "When I talked with him last night he didn't want to talk about either Jared or Victoria's death…and obviously he never mentioned the name of Grindelwald. How would we bring it up? And do we even need to?"

"Well don't you think it's important?" Hermione asked quickly.

"Is it?" Harry asked. "Grindelwald is dead. I need to know about Voldemort."

"Maybe if we know more about how Dumbledore fought Grindelwald we'll have a better chance against Voldemort," Ron suggested.

"He used Lunis, remember?" Harry asked quietly. "Dumbledore told me he used Lunis against Grindelwald…you can only use it once…so he had to pass it on for someone to fight Voldemort, and he picked my father. But Voldemort took it from him…" Harry trailed off, feeling a twinge of anger in his gut for what had happened to his parents, but let it pass quickly.

"I'd still like to know more about all of this," Hermione said evenly. "And Dumbledore is probably the best person to ask."

"Well then we will ask him," Harry said quickly. "But not yet…let's try to find this on our own first. I know, just by having seen the look in his eyes, I know this is not something Albus wants to discuss. I think Caleb had to have been right about that at least, it's probably a very painful memory for him."

"Wonderful," Ron remarked sardonically. "So now we're out of school and no longer have to sneak around to get information…as a matter of fact we actually know who has the information, and yet we're still gonna do as much research as possible before talking to that person?"

"That's right," Harry replied curtly.

"Alright, alright," Ron sighed, "just tell me what exactly we're looking for. Anything on Grindelwald in general?"

"Well probably more about Jared and Victoria then Grindelwald," Hermione said quickly. "I want to know more about them…what happened to them after school, who are Victoria's children…and are they Jared's as well? I mean, if they are…the children of Grindelwald could be running around out there somewhere. Also, who murdered Victoria? And why? How come that person was never caught?"

"If they were never caught don't you think that'll be a bit hard to find in some book?" Ron asked.

"Of course that wouldn't be in a book!" Hermione exclaimed quietly, glancing around them to make sure no one was close by, but the crowd continued to pass, barely noticing them.

"If we can find a good amount of information though, we might be able to piece this together," Mel spoke up softly.

"Exactly," Hermione nodded. "Who knows what we'll find on Jared or Victoria…maybe they even worked for the ministry at some point, and they keep files on everything…we have no idea…"

"Right," Harry cut in. "That's it then, we look for information first, then we go to Dumbledore."

As the week began again, and classes were moving along as usual, Harry found it hard to find time to do any research. As the lessons grew more difficult with each passing week, he had to spend a good deal of time preparing, and making sure everything would be safe for the students. Added to that workload now, were the extra sessions for the Patronus Charm.

Every Monday and Tuesday after class, the students that had shown interest in continuing the lessons met for one hour with him in the dark arts room. The first through third-years were on Monday and fourth through seventh-years the following day. There were about a dozen students in each session, including Ginny and Su for the older group, and Hadley and Ariele for the younger. They were the only two first-years in the sessions.

Devon had decided not to continue with the lessons. His Patronus had never changed in the slightest from what he had been able to produce on his first attempt, and he didn't seem to care in the least. He was glad when the class lessons were finished and seemed almost relieved to be moving on.

Hadley, of course, couldn't have been more pleased about Devon's absence from the extra lessons, as she was easily the most advanced in her group. Her charm only improved each time she cast it, and the smug look on her face told everyone in the room that she knew it.

To be fair, however, Harry never gave her more praise than any of the other students when their charms improved as well, he didn't want to encourage her behavior, or make the others think their achievements weren't just as good.

"You all did a wonderful job today," he called out as he was dismissing the Monday group after their third lesson. "See you in a week."

It was now the second week in December. Everyone could feel the excitement in the air from the nearing holidays, and most were just eager to be going home for the break. Hadley, surprisingly, seemed as though she couldn't care less about the prospect of no classes for two weeks, and Harry wondered, not for the first time, what her home life was like, as he watched her gather her things while the other students left the room, chatting with one another excitedly.

"Thanks professor," Ariele said cheerfully as she passed by Harry on her way out.

"Good job, Ariele," he called out after her. He watched for a moment as she stepped through the door, before turning back to Hadley, who was quickly trying to reach the exit.

"Nice work today, Hadley," Harry called out as she sped past him.

"Thank you sir," she mumbled briskly, not even turning her head as she stepped out into the corridor.

Sighing inaudibly, Harry simply shrugged and turned to collect his things. The lesson had run a few minutes late, and surely the rest of the school would already be in the great hall for dinner. He checked over the room as he always did before leaving, and made sure to lock the door behind him as he stepped out into the hallway.

He started towards the great hall first, moving slowly through the deserted corridors, trying to decide if he should just have dinner in his office tonight in hopes of getting more research done, when he heard voices floating down the hall at him from just around the next bend.

Quickening his pace as he realized the voices sounded like they were arguing, Harry hurried to the end of the hall and turned the corner, to see Hadley and Ariele standing in the center of the corridor. Ariele's bag was on the floor, and much of its contents were splayed across the hard stones around them, but neither girl was concentrating on that, and Harry could see Hadley holding something, trying to keep it out of Ariele's reach.

"Give it back, Hadley!" Ariele spat angrily as she lunged for the Slytherin girl's right hand and missed.

"You should pick up your things, someone could trip," Hadley said tauntingly.

"I will when you give me my quill back!" Ariele said loudly.

"Your quill?" Hadley asked sweetly, admiring the elegant, sparkling bronze feather in her hand. "I found this, it's mine."

"My mum bought it for me in Diagon Alley, now give it here!" Ariele snapped, lunging again. Harry rolled his eyes upon hearing what the argument was over as he finally came up to the spot where the two girls stood. Hadley glanced up at him as she caught sight of his shadow, and it was just enough of a distraction for Ariele to reach again, this time catching Hadley by the wrist.

"That hurts!" Hadley cried at once, spinning her gaze back around.

"Then let go," Ariele retorted, trying to pry her quill loose. "You're going to break it!"

"That's because you're pulling!"

"Alright enough, both of you," Harry spoke up sternly, not wanting to hear any more yelling. Ariele stopped first, dropping her hands quickly and looking gratefully up at Harry. "Hadley, we both know that belongs to Ariele, please give it back to her," he continued, having seen the young Gryffindor using it in class many times.

Narrowing her eyes angrily, Hadley looked for a moment as if she were considering her options, before finally tossing the feather at Ariele with an arrogant sniff.

"I don't know why you care so much about it," the young Slytherin muttered darkly. "Your mother buys you lots of things, I'm sure…probably to make up for-" she stopped suddenly glancing sideways at Harry, seeming to realize what she was saying, and quickly reached down to retrieve her own bag. When she glanced back up, a faint smirk passed over her lips as she saw the shocked expression on Ariele's face, before she pushed past her and started again up the hall.

"Hadley," Harry called out after her, his voice calm. She turned around, obvious impatience in her eyes as she stared at him, expectantly. "I'm taking ten points from Slytherin for this. Don't try to steal from your classmates again, understood?"

The irritation in Hadley's gaze immediately became dark and angry. She nodded a stiff reply, before turning once more and stalking off down the hall.

Shaking his head in frustration, Harry turned back to see Ariele staring off down the corridor after Hadley, a hurt expression on her face.

"Don't pay any attention to her," Harry said gently as he knelt down and began to gather Ariele's things for her. "She has no idea what she's talking about." He'd heard Hadley begin what sounded like an insult against Ariele's mother, and knew she'd only stopped because he'd been standing right there.

"She does," Ariele said quietly after a long moment had passed.

"Does what?" Harry asked softly, sliding the last book into the sack and standing up.

"She does know what she's talking about…" Ariele said in a small voice, "either that, or it was a very good guess…"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, kneeling down again to see into the young girl's eyes. It was then he noticed Ariele was on the verge of tears, but she was holding them back.

"My mother…she buys me things all the time," Ariele said quietly. "Things I don't need…"

"I'm…I'm sure that's only because she loves you," Harry stammered, somewhat taken aback by the sudden seriousness and maturity in Ariele's statement.

"It's not," Ariele whispered, inhaling sharply and letting out a long, shaky breath.

"Ariele," Harry began gently, putting a gentle hand on the girl's arm. "Don't take what Hadley said to heart. She couldn't know about your mum…"

"Then how come she said that?" Ariele asked, looking directly back into Harry's eyes, searching them. Harry watched, a growing sense of confusion building within him as Ariele shook her head sadly and reached for her bag.

"My mother buys me things all the time," she stated again, her eyes on the floor now as she sniffled softly. "And she does it because she can't ever be there…my aunt takes me shopping, or out to eat, or to the playground…everywhere. Never my mum…she's too busy, always."

"Ariele," Harry spoke up gently. "I'm sorry you don't get to spend a lot of time with your mum, but please…don't let what Hadley said upset you."

"But she knew…"

"She guessed," Harry cut in quickly. "It was just a guess, and not a very nice one…"

Ariele just stared back at Harry, uncertainty in her eyes.

"I never told anyone here about my mum," she said softly. Harry looked at her carefully, wishing he had something more comforting to say to the young girl, but nothing came to him.

"C'mon," he said at last, standing up and holding out his hand. "Don't dwell on it…"

"Do you really think it was only a guess?" Ariele asked hopefully, a bit of the familiar skepticism she exhibited in class returning to her voice.

"I really think so," Harry nodded with a grin, but in all honesty, he wasn't so sure now. Hadley purposely stopped what she'd been saying so he wouldn't hear her, and when Ariele had seemed shocked, it was as though Hadley had been hoping for that to be the reaction.

"How about we go get some dinner before it's all gone?" he grinned down at her as she took his hand. She nodded back at him, letting a small smile cross her own face, as the two set off up the corridor.

After making sure Ariele was going to be alright and seeing her to the great hall, Harry decided to skip dinner for now, not having much of an appetite anyway, and headed straight for his office. Setting down all of his class paperwork, he picked up the books he'd taken from the library and crossed the room, lowering himself onto the couch before finding the page he'd left off on last.

He'd discovered quickly enough, that if he wanted information on Grindelwald, there was plenty to find, detailing a great many of the crimes against the wizarding world the evil sorcerer had committed. However, finding any mention of either Jared Graham or Victoria Weston, was an entirely different story.

Jared's father, being the head Minister of Magic was mentioned many times in several of the history books, but the information about the minister didn't help Harry in the least. Vincent Graham appeared to be exactly the type of person Dumbledore said he was, far more concerned with appearances than anything else.

"That must've been a prerequisite in order to be considered for head minister," Harry muttered sardonically to himself, thinking how glad he was to have Dumbledore in charge of the ministry.

The minutes ticked by as Harry continued to sort through the pages of the book, coming to its end just over an hour later and tossing it aside with a small sigh. He gently slid his glasses away from his eyes, massaging his temples and wondering if his friends were faring any better than he. It had been a week since he last heard from Hermione on her progress, and she seemed to be in much the same situation as him. A plethora of information available on Grindelwald in any history book she could find, and no mention of Jared Graham.

Setting his glasses back in place, Harry reached over to the table, plucking the next book in line from the pile, when there was a soft knock at the door.

"Coming," Harry called out, jumping up from his seat and crossing the room. He pulled the door open slowly, surprised at who he found on the opposite side.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, confused.

"Nice to see you too, mate," Ron joked stepping past his friend and into the office.

"Have you spoken with McGonagall yet?" Mel asked, entering just behind Ron, skipping any pleasantries and looking pointedly at Harry.

"No," Harry replied, continuing quickly. "But I haven't seen the Baron for weeks…"

"Well then you've probably been missing him, he was out in the hall just a moment ago," Mel said quietly.

"Outside my office door again?" Harry asked, shaking his head in mild exasperation, and wishing he had even the slightest idea of what was causing the Slytherin ghost's behavior.

"Just moving through the corridor, actually," Ron spoke up from beside his friend. "But he might have just realized we were coming and started to leave before we got there."

"Will you please speak with McGonagall now?" Mel asked, not sounding argumentative or demanding, simply hopeful as she met Harry's gaze.

"Alright," he nodded after a moment, "I'll ask her if there's anything we can do…first thing in the morning."

"Are you sure you want to wait that long?" Mel asked.

"Mel, I've been in here for over an hour, reading…" Harry said, smirking lightly, "no one's been in here except me until the both of you arrived…and speaking of which, I'm guessing you didn't come here just to see if the Baron was hanging about outside my door…" he trailed off, looking back and forth between his friends, questioningly.

"Actually, Ron and I had the same idea earlier tonight," Mel spoke up.

"And what idea was that?"

"Well," Ron began, "after I finished at practice today, I went over to the library in London. I haven't had much chance to do any research on Jared or Victoria, so I figured tonight would be a good night. It's Hermione's late night at school, so I wouldn't need to be back for anything anyway. I'd been looking through the books she'd been bringing home with her every so often, but really I never found anything useful, so when I got to the library tonight, I had an idea. We want to know about Victoria's kids as well, right? Well there had to be some sort of documentation on their birth…and the library has that whole records department in the basement…so I went down there…and found Mel, already looking for the same thing."

"Did you find anything?" Harry asked quickly, suddenly very eager.

"Not very much," Mel said, a note of disappointment in her tone. "Not that I really expected to…they don't give out personal information at the public library, after all. But I did find out that Victoria had a son, and a daughter. In 1877 she gave birth to a son, Leto Graham…and then ten years later, in 1887, she had a daughter, Jessica Graham."

"Leto and Jessica," Harry repeated quietly. "Anything else?"

"Well," Ron began, "we found out Victoria died only seven months after Jessica was born…but nothing specific besides that…"

"Was there anything else on either of the children?" Harry asked quickly. "Maybe they had kids of their own…"

"I checked," Mel interrupted quietly. "But if it weren't for the birth records, there would be nothing to say Leto or Jessica ever existed. It's like they disappeared…I mean, even for Victoria it was easy to find that she attended Hogwarts…it gave no information beyond that, but a record of her attending school does exist. For her children though, there's nothing…"

Harry nodded faintly, before turning away from his friends with an inaudible sigh.

"At least we know a bit more than we did before," he said quietly, rubbing at his eyes under his glasses.

"True, but I have this feeling…" Mel began, "it's going to be much harder to find anything on Leto or Jessica than it will be to find even the smallest bit of information on Jared or Victoria…" she paused, waiting till Harry's eyes met hers before continuing, "We've been at this for three weeks now…don't you think it's time we ask him?"

Harry didn't reply right away, as he had been wondering that very same thing. Dumbledore, he was almost certain, would know anything they could possibly want to know about Jared or Victoria…and perhaps about their children as well. But still, he couldn't forget the darkness and guilt he'd seen in the head minister's eyes that night…and did not want to put the former headmaster through the pain of having to relive that memory, especially as from what he currently knew, neither Jared nor Victoria would be a threat to him or his friends…how could they be? He knew what he had to about Adrik and Lilith, and that was the important thing…the rest could wait, for now.

"No, not yet," Harry said at last. "Let's give it a few more weeks at least…wait until the holidays are over. If by then we still can't find anything…we can go to Dumbledore, and see if he'll tell us what he knows."

The next morning, as promised, Harry made his way to the headmistress' office bright and early. He told her what had been happening with the Baron, beginning with the very first incident, where he and Ron had heard Peeves trying to enter the office, and quickly explained what had happened the next few times as well.

McGonagall was none too pleased that Harry had waited this long to mention anything to her, and told him she'd be looking into it at once.

"We will need to have a closer look at your office…when is your last class today?

"I have a full day today, then an extra session after my last class…I won't be free until after dinner."

"Then that is when we will do it," Minerva said briskly. Harry thanked her once, apologizing for disturbing her, before leaving the office and heading down to breakfast. While Tuesday was his busiest day of the week, the classes passed quickly enough, and soon enough he found himself on his way back upstairs, where he found Minerva and Snape waiting for him.

"Did you speak with the Baron?" Harry asked as the three entered the office together.

"Of course we did," Snape replied curtly, obviously wanting to be anywhere but Harry's office at that moment. "Stupid of you to ignore his warnings, I must say."

"What warnings?" Harry asked, feeling the familiar anger that always seemed to rise within him in response to one of the potion master's comments. "He never said anything, I tried to ask him why he was there and he wouldn't answer…"

"Of course he wouldn't talk to you…" Snape spat, disgustedly.

"If the two of you are quite finished," Minerva cut in sharply, looking from Harry to Snape fiercely, as if daring one of them to continue the argument. "Good," she said stiffly after another moment. "Harry, from what the Baron could tell us he could sense a presence coming from behind your office door, but was unable to enter no matter what time of the day or night he would try."

"So whatever it is…it's always here?" Harry asked. "Why can he sense it, when no one else has noticed a thing?"

"That's what we're hoping to find out," Minerva replied quickly. "We're going to place a rather strong revealing charm over your office for now…if anyone or anything tries to conceal their presence, they should be unable to do so…the ghosts should be able to enter your office once again as well."

Harry nodded, and opened his mouth to ask another question, when Minerva brought her wand up quickly.

"Praesentia acclaro relegare."

At once, the tip of her wand began glowing a bright violet and Snape lifted his own wand, touching it to hers and repeating the words. The violet glow grew brighter, and both Snape and McGonagall turned to look at Harry. It took him half a minute to realize they were waiting for him to join them in performing the charm, and he quickly fumbled in his pockets, bringing out his wand and touching it to theirs.

"Praesentia acclaro relegare," he said slowly, making sure not to mispronounce anything.

"Now, spread it around, leave nothing untouched," McGonagall said quietly as both she and Snape broke off and started moving about the room. Harry saw the violet light at the tip of his wand was drizzling out onto the floor ever so slowly, and he immediately moved to the far corner of the room, realizing what Minerva had meant. He covered every inch of floor and furniture he came near, sometimes doubling back just to be sure he'd touched on everything in that part of the office. Nearly forty-five minutes had passed when finally the three met back in the center of the room again.

"Now, we wait…and see how well it works,' McGonagall said quietly. It seemed, to Harry though, that there was the slightest hint of confusion in her voice, and he wondered if the charm hadn't worked the way she'd expected it to.

But as the days continued to pass, Harry had no doubt in his mind the charm had worked, as Peeves made his first visit to his office one morning, effectively creating utter chaos in mere seconds. Harry was late to his class that morning, after spending just over twenty minutes reorganizing his papers for the day's lessons and then racing through the halls.

Finally, the last week of classes came to an end, and the winter holidays began. There was another trip to Hogsmeade, of course, but Harry decided to stay at the school this time. He wanted to make sure he was all packed, as this would be the first time ever that he would be spending a Christmas at home, and he couldn't help but feel excited.

After dinner was finished that evening, Harry headed back upstairs, doing yet another check through his quarters to make sure he hadn't forgotten to pack something, before heading to his office. But his mind just wasn't into the research tonight, and he couldn't concentrate. He knew that the little bit of information his friends had managed to find would be the extent of it…he would have to ask Dumbledore, there was really no other way to find out anything about Jared or Victoria at this point. However, he was not going to ruin the head minister's holiday…Christmas was far too close, and then there was Sirius and Marzia's wedding just a week after.

"Just a couple more weeks," he told himself as he cast a last glance around his office, before shutting the door silently and locking it. He slowly began walking towards the Gryffindor tower, as he did every night around the time the students usually went to bed, thinking not of the Lestranges, the Grahams, Voldemort or Grindelwald, as was so often the thoughts that filled his head lately. Instead, he could only think of the holidays, spending time with his family…his family. It was something he'd wanted his whole life, and now, he would finally have it.

Just as these thoughts were circling in his mind, however, a soft clicking sound reached his ears only seconds before he turned into the hallway with the portrait of the fat lady. The first thing Harry noticed upon turning the corner was someone in a dark cloak, who was definitely much taller than any student he knew, walking quickly, moving to the opposite end of the corridor from where he stood, and Harry realized at once what the sound had been. This person had just shut the portrait hole…he'd been in the common room.

Without a second thought, Harry broke into a run; wanting to catch this person he didn't recognize, find out how he'd gotten into the Gryffindor tower and why he was there. But the man heard the approaching footsteps and without so much as a half glance behind him, he set off as well, reaching the end of the corridor before Harry closed the gap between them even halfway.

Barely skidding to a stop as he hit the corner, Harry had no chance to possibly start to run again, when he felt something collide with his middle, effectively knocking the air out of him as his back slammed into the wall behind him and he slumped to the floor, coughing roughly while attempting to catch his breath.

"Potter?" he heard an irritated voice ask at once, "What did you think you were doing?" But Harry couldn't respond right away. He looked up through the haze that was his vision, and could make out the shape of someone standing a few feet away in the flickering candlelight of the hall.

"Trying to be funny, was that it?" the person continued, the voice growing more annoyed. "I don't appreciate your stupid little pranks…"

"It w-wasn't…a prank…" Harry stammered, still breathing somewhat heavily. The spell that had hit him had been incredibly forceful, but he pushed the pain down and gritted his teeth, as he went on. "What were you doing in the Gryffindor Tower, Troy?"

The redheaded professor seemed taken aback for a moment, before regaining his composure and continuing.

"What are you going on about Potter? I was simply walking down the hall, when you decided to attack me…"

"I don't recall using any magic on you," Harry interrupted, forcing his voice to remain even.

"I didn't see you clearly," Troy explained in an offhanded manner. "You ran at me without a word…I was defending myself."

"Fine, I apologize for running at you," Harry said flatly. "Now tell me what business you had being in the Gryffindor Tower so late at night when all the students are in bed."

"I already told you, I wasn't in the tower…"

"I don't believe you…I heard the portrait hole shut and saw you walking away…"

"Did you see me actually coming out of the portrait hole?" Troy cut in demandingly.

Harry clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes, finally feeling strong enough to stand again as he pushed himself up.

"No, I didn't," he replied, but continued quickly as the triumphant expression spread across Troy's face. "But you were the only person in the hall…if it wasn't you, who was it?"

"A student, obviously," Troy replied, rolling his eyes. "On his way to bed, I assume…"

"A Gryffindor student out in the halls after bedtime and you didn't jump at the chance to take points away?" Harry asked sardonically.

Troy's eyes narrowed dangerously for a fleeting second, before his expression suddenly changed, and he smirked at Harry, shrugging casually.

"It's Christmastime, consider it my gift to him," he said with mock sweetness.

"I can't tell you how much I don't believe you," Harry replied cynically. "And if you won't tell me why you were in the tower, I'm going to have to bring this matter up with the headmistress."

"Minerva, yes, wonderful idea. She has such fantastic ideals, you know. A full-on supporter of innocent until proven guilty, and let's face it Potter, you have no proof to back up your claim. You heard a noise, which you believed to be the entrance to the tower closing, but you never saw me once touch the portrait itself. You have nothing to go on. Now if you don't mind, I have better things to do."

With an arrogant smirk, Troy turned on his heel and stalked off up the corridor, leaving Harry no chance to reply. Watching for a long moment as the young transfiguration professor walked away, Harry turned slowly and started back towards the tower. He had to move gradually, not believing how badly his ribs still hurt as he used the wall to steady himself, and wondered what exactly Troy had hit him with. When at last he reached the portrait of the fat lady, he entered the common room silently.

Ascending the stairway he remembered so well, Harry went through every dorm, stopping in each bedroom to make sure all the students were sound asleep. Not once did he see anything that made it seem as though something had been tampered with in any of the rooms, and after just a short while, Harry was on his way back downstairs.

He glanced around the common room once more before stepping through the portrait hole and letting it shut behind him. The clicking noise sounded once more, the same noise he had heard several times a day during each year he'd been a student in this school…the noise he knew he heard just a short while ago. Looking up suddenly, Harry turned to face the fat lady as an idea struck him.

"I'm…I'm sorry to bother you, so late," he began as the terribly tired woman stared groggily back at him, stifling a gentle yawn. "But I have to ask you…was Professor Troy Ryan inside the tower at all tonight?"

"Yes professor," the fat lady replied with a sleepy nod. "He gave the password not long ago, and I allowed him to enter."

"That's proof enough for me," Harry muttered under his breath before looking at the fat lady once more. "Thank you," he said pleasantly. "Sleep well."

"Good night sir," she mumbled as her eyes fluttered shut, and she fell into a soft sleep at once.

When Harry woke the next morning he tracked down McGonagall as quickly as possible. Whatever Troy had been doing in the Gryffindor Tower the previous night, Harry was definitely a bit nervous over the fact that the Transfiguration professor had lied to him about it, and felt the only choice he had was to tell the headmistress what had happened.

Minerva agreed that it was definitely strange behavior, and would speak with Troy about it as soon as possible…but wouldn't have the chance until after the holidays. Troy was going home for the break as well, and had left very early that morning, not to return for two full weeks.

Feeling much better about leaving while the redheaded professor would not be there, Harry agreed to waiting to discuss the matter with Troy again until after the holidays. He wished Minerva a merry Christmas, promising to return a couple days following the wedding to make sure things were ready for classes to resume again, and set off through the halls.

Stopping briefly in his office, Harry made sure to grab the invitation he'd received a month earlier for the wedding, even though he knew he wouldn't truly need it, before heading downstairs. He made his way down to the main entrance where the students that were going home for the holidays were gathering, ready to take the carriages to where the Hogwarts Express was waiting for them. Hadley was standing with a group of Slytherins, Harry noticed and a short distance away he spotted Devon, standing slightly apart from a group of first-year Gryffindors which included Ariele. He was glad they all had families to go home to.

Catching sight of a mop of bright red hair in the crowd, Harry found his way through to where Ginny stood with her friends. He knew he'd be seeing her several times over the break, but wanted to wish her a safe journey anyway, and waited outside with her until it was time for the students to be on their way. Harry watched the full carriages start on their way, before heading back inside to the place he had first arrived at Hogwarts in summer.

Filch had once again opened the secret grate near the entrance to the school, and Harry found his trunks and other belongings already lined up neatly against the wall. Several other professors were there as well, all looking happy to be going home for the break. Harry waited his turn patiently, thinking about the holidays. Going home to Sirius and Marzia was good enough on its own, but what was even better, was Mel would be spending the holiday with them as well. She had seemed hesitant to agree to this at first, but in the end, with Marzia's help, Harry had been able to persuade her. It would be much better than sitting alone in an empty house…and she'd already made it quite clear she would not be spending the time with her parents.

When at last the other instructors had gone, it was Harry's turn to use the floo grate. He wished Filch a merry Christmas as he and the caretaker moved his belongings into the large hearth, before stepping in himself.

Seconds later, Harry was pushing his trunks out into the living room he'd left only four months ago, feeling very glad to be home. He looked around the downstairs, finding it empty, but knew he'd arrived earlier than he'd said he would, so Sirius and Marzia simply hadn't been expecting him yet. They were probably out shopping or picking up dinner…or something of the sort, so it would give him some time to get his things upstairs.

The thought had barely crossed his mind, however, when a loud pop sounded just behind him and Harry looked over, startled to see Hermione standing in his living room.

"Herm," he began happily. "How are you? I only just arrived…what's wrong?" he asked suddenly seeing the distress etched in her features.

"Harry, I'm glad you're here…" she said, her eyes focusing on his, a look of disbelief and fear in them, "I didn't think you would be…I thought I'd have to leave a note and try to…"

"Well I'm here, you've found me…" Harry cut in, putting a gentle hand on her own, wondering what could be making Hermione so upset. She didn't sound herself. "Please…tell me what's wrong," he said, trying not to sound as uneasy as he suddenly felt.

"I…I have some bad news…" she said quietly.

The anxiety Harry was feeling only worsened upon hearing Hermione's statement, and he could see she looked quite shaken.

"C'mon," he said gently, leading her towards the couch. "Sit down…take your time," he said, when in all honesty he wanted her to tell him what was wrong that instant. He lowered them both onto the smaller of the sofas and waited a moment before speaking again. "What happened Hermione?" he asked softly, masking the eagerness in his voice.

"Professor Alcott…" she began hesitantly. "He's…he's dead, Harry…"

"What?" Harry asked, his voice a shocked whisper. "How? What Happened?"

"They think he was murdered," Hermione said quietly. "He was found early this morning…in his office. It looked like he never left from the night before…" she trailed off.

"Who's they?" Harry asked.

"The ministry," Hermione replied softly. "They were at the university this morning…I was…I was supposed to be meeting Professor Alcott in his office…and when I got there, a small crowd of students was gathered near the door…I tried to get through, but several ministers were guarding the door…"

"And they told you he was…that he'd died?" Harry asked.

"Well, I only found out because Percy happened to be there…no one was supposed to know anything…but I convinced him it was important, and he made me promise not to tell…but…Harry…I had to tell you…" she said, looking suddenly scared as she met his gaze with her wide eyes.

"It's alright Hermione, calm down," Harry said gently. "Do they how Alcott died?"

"Percy said it looked very much like someone used the killing curse on him," she began quietly. "But there was something else…and I don't think Percy knew what it meant…"

"What was it?" Harry asked slowly, not sure he wanted to know.

"There was a mark on Alcott's wrist…his right wrist…just below his thumb…" she trailed off as realization shown through in Harry's eyes.

"The mark of the cult?" he asked, hoping fervently that she would say it wasn't, but Hermione nodded miserably.

"He said it was a circle…with seven smaller ones inside of it…" she spoke quietly.

"But why?" Harry asked, feeling both angry and confused. "What would the Shadow Walkers want with Alcott?"

"I don't know…" Hermione said sadly. "I should've left it alone…I never should've pressured him…" she whispered, on the verge of tears.

"Hermione, no don't…it's not your fault…" Harry began, pulling his friend into a warm embrace.

"He was going to tell me something Harry…I know he was…" Hermione said shakily. "I was going to his office for a reason…he was going to tell me more about Jared and Victoria…"

"I thought he said he told us everything he knew," Harry said quietly.

"He said that back when we all spoke to him, I know," Hermione nodded faintly. "But he would see me in the library looking for information all the time…he knew what I was looking for…and finally last night, he told me to come to his office this morning, that he would tell me what I needed to know."

"It still doesn't make this your fault," Harry said gently. "He was going to tell you about Jared and Victoria…what does that have to do with the Shadow Walkers?"

"Maybe it has a lot to do with them," Hermione shrugged in defeat. "How would we know?"

Harry shook his head softly, opening his mouth to argue when Hermione rushed on quickly.

"Harry don't you see how dangerous this could be for you? We were just speaking with Professor Alcott a few weeks ago…you were just speaking with him…and now suddenly he turns up dead, with the mark of the cult that seems to want to kill you on his wrist…how can you not be scared or at least worried?" she asked, clearly fearful enough for the both of them.

"Hermione, I am worried…I want to know why Professor Alcott was killed, and I want to know who did it…but from what you've told me we can't be sure of anything yet. I mean, I had a mark on my wrist too, Adrik put it there…how do we know he didn't do this to Alcott just to make us think…"

"Yours disappeared after a few minutes Harry…Alcott's was still there when the ministry arrived."

"It still doesn't fit…we need to know more," Harry said quietly. "I'm sure the ministry will be questioning everyone…maybe one of the students will have seen someone near his office last night…"

Hermione looked at Harry for a long moment before opening her mouth to say something, but stopped and looked up abruptly, as someone apparated into the room.

"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed happily as he spotted his godson upon arriving, his smile immediately faltering, however, as he saw the expressions on both Harry and Hermione's faces. "What is it? What happened?" he asked quickly.

Harry could barely even begin his reply when another pop sounded in the air, and Marzia appeared just a few feet behind Sirius. She too smiled upon seeing Harry and Hermione, but noticed immediately that something was wrong.

"What now?" she asked apprehensively stepping up beside Sirius.

"One of Hermione's professors was found dead in his office this morning," Harry explained.

"Hermione I'm so sorry," Marzia said gently. "Would you like a cup of tea? I can just…"

"That's not why I'm upset," Hermione cut in quietly, realizing Marzia had thought Harry was comforting her over the loss of a friend. She looked sideways at Harry, meeting his gaze for a brief moment, before continuing. "I think the Cult of Shadows is getting closer…they might know where Harry is."

"What? How?" Sirius exclaimed immediately, his voice clearly showing how worried he was.

"We don't know that for sure," Harry spoke up quickly. "We don't really know anything yet…"

"The mark of the cult was found on Professor Alcott's wrist," Hermione cut in, refusing to let Harry shove the matter aside. "It was the same as the one Adrik gave to Harry."

"We have to tell Albus immediately," Sirius stated at once, looking from his godson to the hearth as if he were ready to go that moment, "Has the ministry already been on the scene? We need to know what they found, if there were any traces that could…"

"Sirius, wait…" Harry began.

"Harry no, I will not wait this out until it's too late," Sirius shot back sternly.

"Sirius, it's alright," Marzia said in a placating tone, "just calm down for a mo-"

"How can you ask me to be calm, Marzia?" Sirius asked, spinning around and staring at his fiancé in disbelief. "You know more about the Shadow Walkers than any of us here…you should know…"

"That's right I know more about them," Marzia interrupted briskly. "And from the one piece of information I've just heard, I already think the Cult of Shadows has nothing to do with this."

"Did you hear what Hermione just said?" Sirius asked irritably. "The mark was on that professor's wrist, just like Harry's."

"And the cult doesn't leave the mark on its victims," Marzia said sharply. "They don't leave any trace at all. You don't find the people they dispose of for a good long while."

"Then why would the mark be on the professor's wrist?" Sirius asked stiffly. "It makes no sense for it to be there if the Shadow Walkers didn't give it to him."

"Well normally it wouldn't make sense for Harry to have one either, would it?" Marzia asked. "But the fact is he does have one, and I think it's more than likely that the mark on the professor's wrist is just another forgery."

"What for?" Sirius asked quickly, pausing a moment and collecting his thoughts before continuing. "Alright…let's say it is a forgery…let's even say it was Adrik who put it there…why? What would be the purpose of putting the mark of the cult on someone he killed? I would think it more than likely that he knows at least as much as you do about the cult, right? Wouldn't he know the cult doesn't leave the mark on its victims? Why bother putting it on a dead man?"

"I don't know," Marzia replied quickly. "I'm still trying to figure out what the Lestranges would want with a college professor in the first place…" she trailed off, looking down at Harry and Hermione, who had remained silent throughout the argument.

Harry and Hermione exchanged brief glances before turning to look up at Marzia.

"We needed to find out…" Harry began.

"Professor Alcott knew…" Hermione started as well. They both stopped abruptly, nodding to the other that they could go first, when the doorbell rang softly.

"That's probably Mel," Harry said, glancing at the clock as he stood.

"I'll get it," Sirius spoke up pointedly, obviously not wanting to take any chances. He crossed to the door and opened it slowly, one hand in his pocket surely holding his wand in the event he needed it, but Harry had been right. Mel stood on the opposite side holding a small, leather carry bag.

"Hello Sirius," she said pleasantly as he stepped to one side, allowing her to enter.

"Good to see you again Mel," he replied with a smile as he helped her off with her cloak, but she could tell something was wrong.

"What happened?" she asked apprehensively, glancing around the room as Harry crossed to where she stood.

"Come sit down," he said gently, giving her a quick kiss and taking her bag.

"Tell me what's wrong," she insisted as she moved towards the large sofa, lowering herself down with Harry and looking intently into his eyes.

"Professor Alcott…someone killed him," Harry said quietly.

"Who?" Mel asked in shock, paling noticeably.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Hermione said. "I thought it was the Shadow Walkers, but Marzia said it couldn't be."

"Why would you think the Shadow Walkers did it?" Mel asked, looking worriedly to Harry.

"Because their mark was on his wrist," Harry replied, before explaining quickly to Mel all that they knew up to this point.

"I'm still waiting to hear how it is you all seem to know this professor," Marzia spoke up when he'd finished, now seated on the opposite couch beside Sirius. "I understand Hermione knowing him…" she trailed off as Harry glanced over at her again.

"We were looking for information about the Lestranges," Harry began explaining, telling Sirius and Marzia everything about the research he and his friends had been doing, including the discussions with both Albus and Caleb.

"Maybe Adrik and Lilith found out that the professor told you all about them," Marzia suggested when he finished.

"How though?" Harry asked.

"The letter," Mel spoke up. "Harry the letter Hermione sent you, someone read it, remember?"

"But that letter never said anything about the professor or the Lestranges," Harry said quickly. "It was only to let us know where and when to meet that day…"

"Yes but just the same, it proves someone was in your office without you knowing," Mel went on. "Maybe they were there when we were…they would have overheard us talking about meeting with Professor Alcott."

"Mel there were four of us there, I think we would have seen it if someone else was in the office."

"Unless they didn't want you to see them," Sirius cut in evenly. "Harry I think Mel is right…someone overheard you…we need to tell Minerva, have your office checked for…"

"I already told her," Harry cut in quickly. "She, Snape and I performed a revealing charm on the office…no one can hide there now, I'd see them…the ghosts have been able to get in as well."

"They couldn't before?" Marzia asked.

Harry shook his head, going briefly through the few times he'd see the Bloody Baron in the hall, lingering.

"Why is this the first we're hearing of this?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Harry you can't just ignore…"

"Sirius please, I'm not trying to ignore anything," Harry said sincerely. "I searched the office every time, the only time anything was even the slightest bit out of place was when the letter was read…I never found anyone or anything that shouldn't be there."

"Why wouldn't you tell McGonagall anyway?" Sirius asked quietly, his eyes locked with his godson's.

"I don't know," Harry replied half-heartedly. "I didn't think I needed to…" he trailed off, dropping his gaze. He couldn't tell Sirius the truth. He couldn't say he didn't want to be treated like a child…like a fragile, weak person who couldn't take care of themselves. It would hurt and insult his godfather, and Harry wanted to do neither of those things.

"At least we know it's been taken care of for the time being," Marzia spoke up gently, seeing what Harry was feeling just by the look in his eyes. "Let's concentrate on Professor Alcott for now, we need to know why he was killed and who did it."

"Well then we have to talk with Dumbledore," Sirius said immediately. "We can explain to him that we know this is somehow related to Harry and find out anything they know…"

"I agree, Dumbledore would be the best person to ask…but let's wait until morning at least," Marzia said quickly, continuing on before Sirius could argue with her. "The ministry will need time to examine the scene…there's no use in going to Albus for answers that he might not have yet."

"Fine," Sirius said, nodding stiffly. "First thing in the morning then."

"Just how I wanted to spend Christmas Eve," Harry remarked, sighing inaudibly. Sirius looked towards him at once, seeming ready to start in again, to stress the importance of the situation, but Hermione stood up quickly, cutting off the argument before it could begin.

"I should get going then…Ron will be home soon. Should I meet you here tomorrow morning?"

"That would be fine, Hermione," Marzia nodded gently, as they all stood up. They briefly discussed what time they would meet, before Hermione wished them all a good evening, and disapparated.

"C'mon," Harry said quickly, taking Mel gently by the arm and lifting her bag. "I'll show you your room." He walked quickly past Sirius and Marzia, not wanting to discuss Professor Alcott any further with either of them and started upstairs.

"Sorry about all of this," he said quietly as he and Mel reached the upper landing. "I didn't want this to be the way we started out the holidays…"

"It's not your fault, don't worry," Mel smiled gently. "I just want you to be safe…I hope Dumbledore can tell us more about this."

"Don't worry about me," Harry said softly, opening the door to the room just before his and letting Mel step in first. "No one knows about this house…Dumbledore and Sirius made sure of that before I was even allowed to move in."

"But you're only going to be here for a little over a week," Mel said quietly, turning to face him as he closed the door. "What happens when you…"

"Mel, I'm not going to hide on the chance that something might happen," Harry said firmly, a soft edge to his tone. "That's no way to live…"

"But it's a way to stay alive," Mel interjected half-heartedly, seeing the determination in his eyes.

"The school is the safest place to be other than here," Harry continued. "Even if they know I'm there it will be no easy task getting in."

"Yes but it's not proving to be hard to get you out," Mel said quietly. "Someone got to Hadley…and you followed her outside…into the dark forest, by yourself, at night, telling no one where you'd gone…and not only that but you ran into Adrik while you were out there…so now he knows you would do this. All they would have to do is lure you out…knowing you'd take the bait…"

"But you're forgetting one thing," Harry said, the smallest hint of a smirk on his lips.

"And what's that?"

"I made it back, alive…Hadley too. I can take care of myself Mel, I wish you would see that."

"I do see that Harry," Mel whispered. "I just know that the Lestranges aren't like the death eaters you've faced in the past…and I wonder if any of us are ready for them…for whatever it is they're planning."

"We'll have to be," Harry said evenly. "We don't have any other choice."

The next morning, just after Ron and Hermione arrived, the small group set off at once for the ministry building, which was nearly empty due to the holidays. Dumbledore was just finishing a meeting with several other ministers as they arrived, and he allowed them into his office at once, sending away a very curious Mr. Thurston who seemed hesitant to leave the room.

They spoke for a short while about Professor Alcott, and what the ministers had been able to find in his office. As of the moment, there were no suspects, but they were no longer so sure the killing curse was used on him. The mark on Caleb's wrist was indeed the mark of the cult, but Dumbledore was in complete agreement with Marzia's feelings in that the Shadow Walkers' victims are never found so easily, and the mark is never left on them.

Throughout the conversation, however, Harry had the definite impression that someone had already spoken to the head minister about all of this, as he seemed to already know many things Harry hadn't told him yet. As the discussion came to a close, Dumbledore assured them he would do everything in his power to find out what had truly happened to Professor Alcott, but as they were getting up to leave, he asked Harry if he would stay a short while longer. Telling the others he would meet them back at the house, Harry once again lowered himself into his seat across from the head minister, waiting curiously, for what he was going to tell him.

Dumbledore looked for a long moment at Harry, the faintest of grins on his lips before he began to speak gently.

"Sirius and I spoke last night, he told me what you've been up to…"

"I knew somebody must've said something," Harry cut in, shaking his head in mild exasperation.

"Do not be upset with your godfather," Dumbledore smiled, a warm look in his eyes. "He is only concerned for you…"

"I'm not upset," Harry said a bit too quickly, stopping as Dumbledore gave him a knowing look. "Alright, a little, maybe…" he paused, searching for the right words. "It's just…he thinks I need a chaperone no matter where I go…"

"And you think he is treating you like a child," Dumbledore finished for him…it was not a question.

"Sometimes…yes," Harry nodded slowly.

"I understand," Dumbledore said quietly. "But I can't say I entirely disagree with him. I do not know what the Lestranges are plotting, just as I can't say why the Shadow Walkers are suddenly after you…but I am certain neither group wants to keep you alive…not for very long, at least."

Despite the fact that Harry knew what Dumbledore said to already be true, he couldn't help but shudder at hearing the words coming from the head minister.

"I didn't ask you to stay, however, to scare you," Dumbledore continued. "Until we know more about either the Lestranges or the cult, there is little that can be done. What I did want to speak with you about, is your discussion with Professor Alcott. Sirius said you wanted to know more about Jared and Victoria…"

"I'm sorry I didn't come to you first," Harry said immediately, feeling guilty now for not bringing it up to the head minister sooner. "It just seemed like you wanted nothing to do with anything concerning them…and I didn't want to ask you to…to relive anything…unpleasant…" he stammered lightly.

"Regardless of what you think I may feel, please do not let that stop you in the future, Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "If you believe it is important for you to obtain information that I possess, I'd prefer you ask me about it."

"I will…thank you sir," Harry nodded faintly.

"Good," he grinned lightly, "now tell me…did Professor Alcott answer all of your questions?"

"He answered a lot of them," Harry replied quickly. "He couldn't tell us much about Victoria's death though…and we didn't have a chance to ask about her children, though we know she had two of them…"

"I see," Dumbledore nodded. "Here is what we will do then…I want you to go home…enjoy your holiday…while I try to sort out what exactly happened with Professor Alcott over the next few days. We can set a time, after the wedding, of course, to meet again and discuss things then…hopefully with a few more answers."

When Harry returned home, he found his friends still waiting for him, and quickly told them that Dumbledore had agreed to answer any questions about Jared, Victoria and their children…he only wanted to wait to find out more about Caleb before they spoke.

The day went on, and that evening Harry, Mel, Sirius and Marzia had a quiet dinner together, it was the first time in Harry's life he was spending Christmas Eve in a place he truly considered a home.

As the hours passed, Sirius and Marzia headed off to bed at last, instinctively reminding Harry and Mel not to stay up too late as they ascended the stairs, leaving the two alone for the night.

They made their way into the den, where Harry led Mel over to the smaller of the two couches. He lowered himself into the corner of it and gently pulled her down with him, letting her lean back against his chest, her head resting in the crook of his neck. She smelled wonderful…she always did…and he couldn't imagine anything better than this at the moment as they sat in silence, enjoying one another's company by the warm, crackling fire.

"I'm glad you came," he whispered gently into the stillness.

"I'm glad you asked me to," Mel replied contentedly. "I didn't much feel like spending the holidays with my parents."

"Still haven't talked with them?" Harry asked.

"Not really, no," Mel replied with the faintest of sighs. "They don't even understand why I'm upset with them…and I don't think I'm ready to explain it…I'd just end up saying something I'll probably regret later…"

"Then I'm glad you're waiting," Harry said quietly. "And when you do finally tell them, I hope they realize…"

"I'm sure they won't," Mel interrupted with a hollow laugh. "I know they won't…I just have to forgive them for it…before I talk to them…"

"I'm sorry Mel," Harry said, helplessly.

"Don't be," she replied with a soft grin, glancing up at him half backwards from where she was resting. "I know what my parents are like…I'm still not used to it, but maybe one day…" she trailed off, a far off look in her eyes for a brief moment.

"Were they upset that you wouldn't be coming home for the holidays?" Harry asked gently.

"A little," Mel nodded. "They wanted to know why…I told them I had been invited to spend the time with my boyfriend…"

"And?" Harry pressed curiously, when she didn't continue right away.

"And they immediately asked roughly ten million questions about you," Mel grinned. "They wanted to meet you…but I told them not yet…that things are very busy for you right now."

"Do they know…um…do they know who…?"

"Who you are?" Mel finished, reading the uneasiness his voice. "No, I didn't tell them your full name…which only aggravated them more."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the obvious pleasure in Mel's tone, but at the same time, he truly hoped she reconciled with her parents. He didn't know a great deal about them, but believed they loved her…and that they had loved Jack as well, even if they were two different kinds of love.

"Hey," Mel whispered suddenly, a definite hint of excitement in her tone as she glanced up at him again.

"What is it?" Harry asked curiously, gently pushing a few stray hairs across her forehead as her gaze fell away from his, to something across the room. Suddenly the large clock in the den began to chime.

"Happy Christmas, Harry," Mel smiled.

"Happy Christmas Mel," Harry whispered in reply, leaning over and kissing her softly, lingering for a long moment before pulling back as she sat up further and turned towards him fully.

"You know…it's always been a tradition, in my family at least, to open at least one present at midnight on Christmas…" she trailed off, a hopeful smile on her face.

"Well, far be it for me to break such a tradition," Harry joked, slipping his leg out from behind her and helping her up from the couch. They crossed the room to the rather large Christmas tree, trimmed with glittering ornaments, which stood several feet from the hearth. The pine scent hung thickly in the air as they sat down on the red tree skirt; the floor around them littered with carefully wrapped objects of a variety of shapes and sizes.

Mel was already gently shoving aside several of the gifts she had placed there the night before, before slipping out a thin, rectangular box and handing it over.

"You first," she grinned happily as he took the present from her grasp.

"Thank you," Harry smiled, carefully turning the box over in his hands and beginning to pull the paper away slowly.

"Oh you're taking all the fun out of it," Mel teased. "I find it much more enjoyable to rip the paper right off…what else are you going to use it for, right?" she laughed as Harry shook his head in amusement.

"More fun, ey?" he asked, feigning skepticism. "Well, I suppose you'd be the expert…as this is your tradition."

"Yes, this is but one of the many things of which I am an expert," Mel said, managing to sound completely serious.

"Ah," Harry said, rolling his eyes and sighing. "Well, in that case…" he trailed off, rubbing his hands together in preparation, before suddenly lunging forward and shedding the paper right off the box in just seconds.

"Not bad," Mel said as if sizing him up…"I'd give it a six on a scale of one to ten."

"You're too kind…" Harry laughed as he slipped the lid off the box, pushing aside a layer of tissue paper and peering inside, a large smile spreading across his face.

"You always say how you prefer not to wear robes…" Mel shrugged gently. "And you really seemed to like some of the clothes I was getting for Jack that day…"

"No you're exactly right," Harry said quickly, wanting her to know she didn't have to explain. "I love it," he said sincerely, pulling a dark blue sweatshirt out of the box. He was about to look up, when he realized there was more. Reaching in again, he found several T-shirts, another sweatshirt, two pairs of jeans, and a pair of sneakers. The box had to have been enchanted; as there was no way these items could have normally fit inside of it.

"Thank you," he said happily, smiling genuinely across at Mel before leaning over and kissing her once.

"I was going to get you something else…I know how you love quidditch…but I thought…"

"No, no, no," Harry cut in quickly. "I'd much rather this…I love it, thank you so much."

Mel simply smiled back at him, a soft blush touching her cheeks.

"Alright, now it's your turn," Harry said at once, carefully setting aside the box in his lap and turning to look through the pile of presents behind him. There was one in the far back, against the wall, and he plucked it up quickly, turning and holding it out to her.

"Thank you," Mel said softly, reaching up and taking the quaffle-sized box, before slowly ripping the paper away.

"Not going to tear it all off?" Harry asked, jokingly.

"No, I just wanted to see if I could get you to do it…too easy, I must say," she teased, smiling innocently as Harry feigned shock.

"That's it, give it back," he said, making as if to grab for the box.

"Too late, it's mine now," Mel laughed, holding the half-opened package to her and rolling to one side to escape Harry's reach. She quickly continued pulling the paper away from the box, popping the lid open to find an oval shaped piece of plastic pointing up at her. She glanced up at Harry, one eyebrow arched quizzically, but he merely shrugged in reply, a faint smirk on his lips.

Smiling in amusement, Mel lowered her gaze to the package again, and took hold of the plastic, before pulling it upward. But it didn't come right away, and it was clear to her at once that Harry had done the same as she; charmed the box so it would hold much more than it appeared to. In the end, she finally had to stand up, place the box on the floor and bend over, pulling back on the object, which was a bit heavier than she'd expected, but she gasped in happiness as she realized what it was.

"I was hoping you might teach me how to use it," Harry said, silently overjoyed at how happy Mel looked.

"Definitely," Mel said excitedly, carefully placing the gift down before dropping to her knees and hugging him fiercely. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said quickly, "I love it…and you're gonna love it too…snowboarding is by far my favorite winter sport."

"I know," Harry said gently, smiling as Mel turned her gaze once more on the sleek, silver and blue board. She reached out, running her fingers along the edge smoothly, before picking it up and flipping it over in her experienced grasp.

"So, was that everything?" Harry asked after a minute.

"What do you mean?" Mel replied curiously.

"Your box…is it empty?" Harry prompted, hiding a smile as Mel's questioning gaze fell once more to the opened package. She reached over, plucking it from its spot on the floor, and lowered herself once again into Harry's lap as she slipped her hand inside. Seconds later, she brought out another package, this one about half the size of the original, and she began to unwrap it carefully.

"Oh," she sighed as the paper fell to the ground. "Harry that's…it's beautiful," she whispered. "I love music boxes."

"Open it," Harry grinned, keeping his voice casual.

Mel nodded, taking a moment to examine the deep mahogany box. There were no outward markings on it, simply a clasp to flip open before the cover would spring. As her fingers slowly lifted the lid, a familiar tune immediately filled the air, and Harry beamed inwardly as he saw her eyes light up. Two small figures appeared in the center of the box, in a spotlight created by a miniature moon hovering just above them, they spun around merrily in step with the music, and Mel tore her gaze away after a long moment, smiling fiercely.

"The song…the song we danced to," she said, half laughing as she kissed him quickly, then again, thanking him in between each one.

"I'm glad you like it," he said happily when she finally turned to look back at the figures, still dancing to the endless music.

"I love it!" she said quickly. "It's perfect…how did you find it? Did it play this song already?"

"No, it was a muggle music box, actually," Harry grinned. "I had some work to do after I got it."

"Well I love it…it's gorgeous…it's just…" she trailed off, a different sort of curiosity dawning in her eyes. "A muggle music box…" she began, "and the snowboard…which you'd have to get at a muggle shop as well…Harry, you didn't leave the wizarding region for this, did you? You didn't risk the cult finding you…you know they can find you quicker if…"

"Mel, it's alright, calm down," Harry said gently. "I didn't go anywhere near any muggle shops…"

Harry grinned, seeing Mel's expectant expression, waiting to hear his explanation.

"Fred and George did me a favor," he began. "They made a few trips for me…I chose the gifts, and they went to the shops to pick them up…I never went into the muggle world, see?" he laughed gently.

"Sorry," Mel said, ducking her head. "I didn't mean to sound so abrupt with you…I was just…"

"You don't have to explain," Harry said quietly, pausing half a moment before adding, "Thank you."

Mel smiled faintly, relaxing into his arms once more, and he pulled her closer, simply enjoying her presence as they rested against one another. The shimmering lights of the Christmas tree twinkled above them as the fire continued to burn, and they sat this way for a long while, savoring the time together.

Harry didn't know how much time had passed, only glancing up at the clock as he felt Mel yawn into his chest, to see they had been sitting under the tree for nearly two hours.

"Ready for bed?" he asked quietly, feeling her nod tiredly in response. Moving carefully so as not to startle her, Harry gently lifted Mel away from him just enough so he could get his feet under him, before helping her to get her own footing as she blinked up at him, her eyes glazed over. He wouldn't have been surprised if she fell asleep right where she stood.

"C'mere," he laughed as she began to stagger unevenly towards the stairs. He carefully slipped one arm under her knees and another around her back, before easily lifting her off her feet. He smiled as she leant her head gratefully against his shoulder, and slowly ascended the stairs. When he finally reached the door to her room, he nudged it open with his foot, before stepping into the dark room, heading straight for the bed.

"This is becoming a tradition as well," he laughed, remembering the last time she'd stayed there he'd had to bring her up to her bed as she'd nearly fallen asleep on the couch. But Mel didn't reply, and was already breathing deeply, sleeping peacefully with a faint smile on her lips. Harry felt a swell of joy filling him, a kind that only Mel could stir up within him. He leant down, kissing the smooth skin on her forehead gently, not wanting to leave her side. He could be content all night just watching her sleep, and for a moment, considered doing just that…but the thought of the teasing he would receive the next day if he was found asleep on the floor beside her bed, despite making him laugh, decided it for him. He pulled the covers up, tucking them in around her shoulders and back, before slipping quietly across the room to the door, closing it softly behind him as he stepped through, and headed for his own room.

The next day was absolutely wonderful, and one of the very best Christmases Harry could remember having. He, Mel, Sirius and Marzia had spent a pleasant, relaxing morning together, exchanging gifts after a very filling breakfast, before taking the floo network to the Burrow, where they had been invited to spend the day.

Ron and Hermione were there as well, and were in the process of passing around their own presents when Harry and the others arrived. Exchanging gifts with the Weasleys turned out to be a very long ordeal, with Molly wanting to take a picture of everyone's face as each present was opened, and everyone complaining right back to her that they'd be there till next Christmas at the rate they were going.

Fred and George, as Harry realized later he should have expected, were of course prepared to test out new products on their unsuspecting victims and family members. But he didn't think anything of it when George dropped a brightly wrapped package into his lap. He thanked him, looking in amusement at the paper covering the gift…the colors all clashed and meshed, swirling and melting into one another…and onto his hands. Harry gasped in shock as the bright colors drained from the package and ran up his arms quickly while the twins began laughing from where they stood just a few feet away.

Hermione, who had been about to accept the gift George was handing her drew back immediately, gaping in surprise at Harry, who was looking more and more like the present he'd been holding with each passing second, until his skin matched the package perfectly, from head to toe.

"How long until this wears off?" Harry cringed as the sound of laughter filled his ears. Only Molly wasn't joining in, and was busy reprimanding both Fred and George, who of course, were paying little attention.

"How long does that one last again George? Two days was it?" Fred asked with an innocent smirk.

"Two? I thought it was at least four," George replied, feigning confusion, keeping a perfectly straight face as Harry failed to hide the apprehension he was feeling. The rainbow of colors in his cheeks almost seemed to fade a bit, as he grew pale from what he was hearing.

"Fred, George, you set him right this instant!" Molly's voice cut through sharply, but the full affect was lost in the laughter of just about everyone else in the room. Ginny and Arthur, for their part were trying not to show their amusement, but Sirius, Marzia, Ron, Hermione and Mel were all seeming to enjoy Harry's predicament.

"You're your own Christmas present there mate," Ron joked, patting Harry on the shoulder as he laughed.

"Awww how sweet," Mel teased, nudging into Harry from where she sat on the floor beside him. "Thank you for the lovely gift Fred and George."

"I don't know, his hair just doesn't look right with all those bright colors," Hermione said with a perfectly straight face.

"Oh, write that down," Fred said quickly, turning to his twin. "We need the dye to spread up to the hair with the next one."

"Dye?" Harry asked weakly as George conjured up a tiny notepad.

"Of course," Fred shrugged, looking over his brother's shoulder. "How else would we get the color to stay?"

"The green really brings out his eyes too," Marzia spoke up, a bemused grin on her face as Sirius nodded in agreement before adding his own comments.

"Maybe instead of having the same colors spread to his hair, you could make it different, so it would resemble the bow on a gift…"

"Brilliant!" George cried, looking up from his notes. "Good one Mr. Black."

"Guys, come on…change him back," Ginny spoke up softly, looking hopefully at her brothers.

"Oh Ginny hush," Fred began.

"Unless you both want to eat cold leftovers in the attic for Christmas dinner I suggest you do just that!" Molly said darkly, glaring at her sons now.

"Mum it's just a joke," George started.

"Yeah, we had to test it…"

"Well you didn't need to test it on poor Harry!"

"It's alright…Mrs. Weasley…" Harry began, not feeling entirely sure it was. He knew the twins were never ones to pass up the chance for pranks and practical jokes, but he wasn't entirely comfortable about being a test subject. What if they hadn't perfected whatever it was they were working on? He didn't think he could go through even a day of looking as he did right now…let alone many days. Just the thought of Snape seeing him like this made him shudder.

"Don't worry," Fred laughed, seeing the worry building in Harry's eyes. "You're not the first person we tested it on…"

"But we couldn't pass up the opportunity, of course," George continued.

"To show off our latest product."

"So how do I get rid of it?" Harry asked quickly.

"Here," Fred said, pulling a small vile out of his pocket and tossing it. "Drink that."

Harry caught it one-handed, looking suspiciously at the twins as he pulled the small cork out with his painted fingers.

"I'm not joking this time…it really will make the color go away," Fred laughed as Harry cautiously brought up the tiny vile, eyeing the silvery liquid for a brief moment, before downing it in one gulp. An immediate shiver ran through his body, and with the movement went the color, gone in half a second.

"What a neat way to unwrap a gift," Mel commented teasingly as Harry examined his now regular colored hands, a faint look of relief on his face.

"Now," George said, clapping his hands together and smiling broadly as he stepped up to the pile of gifts between he and his brother. "Who wants theirs next?"

The rest of the day went by without any further pranks, as Molly refused to let either of the twins out of her sight. By the time evening came around, however, even Harry was laughing about the stunt, and agreed he would very much enjoy seeing it again…to someone else, of course.

After a fabulous dinner, dessert, and a wonderful evening, Harry and the others finally said their goodbyes, wishing everyone a happy Christmas before heading home.

As the week went on, Harry and Mel spent as much time together as possible. She began teaching him how to snowboard on the hills around the house, and he surprised himself by picking up on it rather quickly.

"Well you already have great balance from playing quidditch," Mel told him after his second successful run. "So it only makes sense you'd be good at this too."

Sirius and Marzia were around less and less as the days went by, preparing for the big day…but no matter how often Harry or Mel offered to help, they always politely declined.

"We don't want to take the time out of your holiday," Sirius told them about midway into the week.

"And besides that, we've done so much of it on our own that by now it would only take longer if we had to explain what we've already set up to anyone," Marzia added, as she rushed through the room holding tightly to a rather large box.

So Harry and Mel agreed to leave Sirius and Marzia to their preparations, and continued to enjoy their time together.

They stopped by the ministry one day, as Harry had made sure to pick up a gift for Travis. It was a miniature quidditch play set, complete with two full teams, two sets of goal hoops, a quaffle, a bludger and the snitch. Travis' smile couldn't have been any bigger as he sat on the floor of the office, watching the tiny figures going at it, playing the match. As Harry started to stand, Travis jumped up as well, hugging him fiercely and thanking him for the present.

A short while later, as he and Mel were getting ready to leave, Harry once again promised Travis he would take him to the next quidditch match, truly looking forward to it. Dumbledore thanked Harry for the gift as well, and told them he would see them at the wedding.

"I wasn't sure you'd be able to come," Harry said, very glad to hear his former headmaster would be attending.

"I cannot stay very long," Dumbledore replied with a nod, "but I could never miss this. I was at James and Lily's wedding, and I will be at Sirius and Marzia's as well."

On Friday, they met up with Ron and Hermione, having dinner at a small restaurant just outside of Hogsmeade, before strolling through the small village just after. The Christmas lights that so many families had decorated their houses with were just spectacular, and Harry couldn't help but admire them as the group made their way down the small street.

He'd hardly ever gotten the chance to see the decorations on other houses when he was younger, and while attending Hogwarts he only saw what was inside the school, but now he was finally seeing what Christmas in the wizarding world looked like.

The lights weren't just adorning the windows and doorways, but seemed to be a part of each house themselves. Entire walls were flashing in succession, windows were sparkling like crystal, and mailboxes would pop open, letting out a deep laughter, which could only be compared to Santa Claus'. Displays of sleighs and reindeer weren't just positioned on rooftops, but flying high above and continuously landing on them. It was like nothing Harry had ever seen before, and he loved it completely.

The end of the week arrived at last, however, and Harry and Mel were alone in the house the night before the wedding. Sirius and Marzia were spending the night near the location where the wedding was to be held, making sure last minute preparations were taken care of. Harry and Mel would be arriving at the same time as everyone else the next morning, by way of their invitation, which was set as a portkey, and would leave at 10:04 am precisely. All the invitations sent out had been set that way as well, all departing within one minute of each other.

"Are you excited?" Mel asked quietly as the two snuggled on the couch in front of a warm fire.

"About the wedding?"

"No, about how it's supposed to snow tomorrow," Mel replied wryly. "Yes about the wedding."

"Yes," Harry replied simply, a soft smile touching his lips. "Sirius deserves this…and I know how much he loves Marzia…I'm really happy for them…"

"They both deserve it," Mel agreed after a moment, nodding faintly against his chest. "And I just know it's going to be beautiful."

The next morning, Harry changed into a sweater and pair of pants quickly, before rushing around his room, and tossing whatever he thought he should bring into an overnight bag. Sirius had told him that all guests were invited to stay the night, and Harry of course was not going to pass this up. However, as Mel pointed out to him while she watched him rushing blankly around the room from the doorway, it would have been much easier to pack the night before.

"Harry, stop…they'll get all wrinkled if you don't fold them right," Mel said exasperatedly, crossing to the bed, which was littered with many articles of clothing.

"Then I'll straighten them when we get there, c'mon Mel, we have to go…"

"Says the person who hasn't finished packing," Mel commented dryly as she quickly and neatly began folding Harry's dress robes. "For once I'm the one on time…"

"It would have been fine if I hadn't missed the alarm," Harry shrugged, glancing nervously at his watch as the time to leave grew closer.

"Or if you had taken my advice and…"

"Packed last night…I know, I know," Harry sighed; smiling at her as she quickly tied his bag shut and held it out to him.

"Are we ready now?" she asked.

"Well, we have the gift, dress clothes, overnight clothes…and Sirius said we wouldn't need any money, but I have some just in case…so yes, I'd say we're set."

"Where's the invitation?"

"Downstairs," Harry replied, glancing again at the time and slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Let's get going, we've only got a few minutes left," he continued, starting for the door. He paused for a moment, giving Hedwig a gentle scratch under her left wing, before he and Mel left the room. She had her things downstairs already, and waited in the den as Harry grabbed the invitation from the kitchen nook.

Three minutes later, after a journey filled with swirling colors, Harry and Mel felt their feet touch the ground, to see what appeared to be forest surrounding them.

"Harry Potter and Melanie Tristen?" a gentleman standing in the small clearing with them spoke up. He was an older man, wearing black dress robes; holding a roll of parchment in one hand, and a quill in the other.

"Yes…that's us," Harry nodded.

"Follow the path, that way," the man nodded, pointing at a thin opening through the snow covered trees.

Nodding again, Harry and Mel set off down what turned to be a very short trail, into a much larger clearing. To the left was a long building, resembling a log cabin, but with doors all along it every few feet. It was L shaped from what Harry could see, and he figured this would probably be where anyone who chose to stay would be spending the night.

On their right was an expansive lake, stretching out further than Harry could see, and perfectly frozen in the chilly winter air. The softest flurries were falling from the sky at the moment, and the tree branches were covered in the sprinkling of fine powder.

"Look…back there," Mel whispered curiously, and Harry followed her gaze to see a small patch of green among the snow covered trees, but his view was obstructed in part by the cabin, and he couldn't make out anything beyond that.

"I'm sure we'll find out what it is soon enough," Harry grinned. "C'mon, let's go find out where we're staying first…then we can find out what Sirius and Marzia want us to do…"

The woman at the main desk in the cabin already had their names, just as the man in the forest did, and she asked how many rooms they needed. Harry told her two, preferably close to one another, and the woman obliged, giving them two sets of keys, for rooms just beside one another.

"This reminds me of a muggle motel," Harry commented as he and Mel walked along the rows of doors, looking for their room numbers.

"That's because it used to be one," a voice spoke up from behind them.

"Sirius," Harry and Mel said in unison, smiling as he came towards them.

"So you were able to make her get ready on time?" Sirius joked, nodding towards Mel and winking at his godson.

"Hey!" Mel cried out in mock insult. "I'll have you know he was the late one today…not me…I finally had to cut in and fold his clothes or we'd still be back at the house right now, waiting for him…"

"Why bother?" Sirius shrugged casually. "It's easy enough to get them all straightened out again."

"That's not the point," Mel muttered while Harry completely agreed with his godfather.

"Well I'll leave you two to get settled in…"

"Where should we come after that? Harry asked quickly.

"Yes, how can we help?" Mel added.

"By enjoying yourselves…have a good time," Sirius replied with a large grin. "Don't worry, everything's set…but actually…I should get going…still have to get ready…er…right…see you both later!…" he trailed off, looking around absently for a moment before heading off in the direction he'd come.

"He doesn't appear to be thinking straight," Harry remarked, laughing slightly.

"Well he's probably nervous," Mel replied, a knowing smirk on her face. "I mean…he's getting married…he's probably excited, scared, anxious…everything all at once."

"That doesn't sound pleasant," Harry remarked, skeptically.

"I think it sounds wonderful," Mel replied quickly, a soft glimmer in her eyes. "It's so romantic, really…after all this time they're still in love with each other…"

"Here we are," Harry cut in absently. "I've got 24A, and you're in B, right?" he asked, nodding at the next doorway down.

"Right," Mel nodded, pulling the key out of her pocket. "See you in a bit," she grinned. Harry nodded, unlocking the door in front of him, and stepping into the room.

"So, what shall we do?" Mel asked after she and Harry met back out in front of the rooms.

"Let's have a look around," Harry suggested. "See if we can find Ron and Hermione."

"Maybe they're staying with Ron's family," Mel said as they began walking down the path alongside the lodge. "They'll need a much bigger room than we got."

"I like our rooms," Harry said. "We don't need anything big for just one night…"

"No I agree," Mel said quickly. "But I'd still like to see what the other ones might look like."

"There you guys are!" a voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. Harry and Mel both looked up to see Ron coming towards them.

"We were just coming to look for you," Mel grinned as they met each other halfway.

"Where are your rooms?" Ron asked, looking down across the way to where Harry pointed.

"24A and B," Harry said quickly. "Where're you?"

"About as far from you as it gets," Ron said, laughing gently. "C'mon, everyone's back this way."

The three began walking across the snow-covered grass to the opposite side of the cabin. They came to another small path lining the edge of the lodge and followed it around the corner, finally coming to a stop in front of a door marked 109. Ron opened the door quickly, leading Harry and Mel into an enormous den area.

"You found them," Ginny said cheerfully as she saw her brother and two friends enter.

"Hey Ginny," Harry smiled.

"Hello Professor," Ginny replied, to which Harry rolled his eyes.

"Don't make me take points away from you," he threatened jokingly.

"You wouldn't," Ginny replied, sticking her tongue out at him quickly, before turning her attention away and greeting Mel.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked, stepping away from the girls and taking another glance around the room. The ceiling was much higher than the one in his room, the couch was longer, and there was a staircase leading upstairs, whereas his room had but one floor, with everything squished into it.

"Upstairs getting her clothes set out," Ron replied. "Doesn't want to have to rush later, she says. Though I can't understand for the life of me how she can take so long to get ready…"

"I know the feeling," Harry laughed, glancing at Mel to make sure she hadn't heard him before continuing. "What about everyone else…who actually came?"

"Well mum and dad are around…dad loves that this place used to belong to muggles…wants to see everything…" Ron paused, rolling his eyes. "Um, Fred and George went for a walk, I think…and that's it…Percy didn't come, he's going to be working at the New Year's celebration tonight."

"Right, I think that's why Dumbledore can't stay too long tonight," Harry nodded, turning as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Hello Harry, Mel," she nodded pleasantly at them as she reached the landing and started towards them.

"Hey Hermione," Harry grinned.

"Now that we're all here…where to?" Mel asked.

"Let's go find Sirius and Marzia…see what they need help with," Hermione suggested.

"We tried that already," Harry grinned. "Sirius told us to go have fun…so we have about three hours before we really have to start getting ready…"

"Let's just have a look around then," Ron shrugged.

With no one having any better ideas for the moment, the five agreed that was the best option. They left the large cabin room and started off down the path. There were many people around, Harry was noticing now. Some seemed to be working, preparing for the ceremony and such, and other looked to be guests, but no one he recognized.

"I wonder how many of these people Sirius actually knows," Harry commented as they passed a couple just arriving at their room, looking questioningly at the key before seeming to realize how, exactly it worked.

"Maybe they're Marzia's family…or just friends…who knows," Mel suggested.

As they continued their walk, Harry told them about the small clearing he'd seen when he and Mel had arrived, where the trees looked green, and the five friends set off to try and find it. But anytime they made it close, they couldn't get in.

"Yes, I think that's definitely where the wedding is going to be held," Harry said as they came upon yet another invisible barrier. He could see people in front of him, rushing about taking care of preparations, but they paid the small group little attention, continuing with their work. There were tents set up in the distance as well, blocking any view they might have been able to get.

Eventually the day grew later, however, and soon enough the five friends had to split up, heading back to their rooms to get ready.

Harry knew Mel wouldn't be finished until long after him, and as such decided not to rush. He pulled his black dress robes out of the closet, which Mel had made him hang them up in earlier, and set them flat on the bed, before taking off his sneakers. Just as he pushed them against the wall, however, there was a soft knock at his door.

Standing up and scuffing across the room in his socks, Harry opened the door to find his godfather on the opposite side.

"Sirius," he smiled. "Decided you needed help with something after all?"

"Not exactly," Sirius said as Harry stepped aside allowing him into the small room. "But I did mean to ask you something…and in all that I had to get done today I kept forgetting to do it…"

"Oh…well what is it then?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well…Marzia and I…we're not having a traditional ceremony in the sense of having bridesmaids and ushers and such…but I still needed someone to…to um…hold the rings…and I was hoping you might want to…"

"Sirius, thank you…I'd be honored," Harry smiled broadly, to which his godfather seemed to swell with relief and happiness.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, reaching a hand into his robes and pulling out a small box. He opened it carefully, and held it towards his godson. Harry gently lifted the two delicate gold bands out of the box, seeing immediately they had an intricate pattern weaved along their edges. The gold in the crevices seemed almost to be moving if you held it at just the right angle.

"Now I really have to go," Sirius said, turning abruptly and heading for the door. "I'll make sure they have you standing near the front and…"

"Are these all your friends?" Harry cut in quickly. "I've seen so many people I don't recognize…"

"Hmmm? Oh, well some of them are old friends, yes…but more of them are Marzia's then mine. I don't have quite so many after my…absence…" he trailed off, averting his eyes.

"Well, you have us," Harry said reassuringly, wishing he hadn't said anything. This was Sirius' day to be happy…he didn't need bad memories bringing him down. "Mel and I…and the Weasleys, Hermione…Dumbledore promised to come as well…"

"Yes, he did," Sirius nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Minerva will be here for a short while as well."

"See? Plenty of people here for you," Harry smiled, before adding, "You deserve this Sirius…you really do."

For a brief moment a comfortable silence settled over the room, and the two simply looked at one another, but Harry could see the gratefulness in his godfather's eyes, and opened his arms as the older man moved to embrace him. The two hugged tightly for a long moment, until Sirius slowly pulled back.

"I really do have to go now," he said with a small laugh. "Marzia will have my head if I'm late…"

"You know, I believe that," Harry laughed with him. "Go on, I'll see you in a bit."

Sirius nodded, emotion still filling his eyes, as he turned and quickly left the room, leaving Harry to finish getting ready.


	9. Chapter 9

"Mel…c'mon, we can't be late…I can't be late!" Harry called, now standing in his girlfriend's room while she was finishing in the bathroom. It hadn't taken him long to change into his black dress robes, and give up, as usual, with fixing his hair, before he had went next door.

"Just two more minutes," she called out, sounding hurried.

"You said that ten minutes ago!" Harry replied exasperatedly, heading for the front of the room and glancing outside for the umpteenth time. "There's hardly anyone out there now…they're all there already…"

"Oh we'll make it, stop whining," Mel admonished him, at last emerging from the bathroom and stopping in front of the bureau. She checked over her hair and smoothed out her clothes quickly, before finally turning around to face him.

"How do I look?"

And despite his feelings of anxiousness over being late, Harry couldn't help but stop in his tracks. Mel was wearing pale, ice blue dress robes that were the perfect contrast to her deep blue eyes. Her hair was left mostly down, with a few braided strands pulled into a small bun around the back. She had very little makeup on, and just a soft gloss on her lips.

"Beautiful…" Harry replied after finding his voice again. "You're beautiful."

"Thank you," Mel replied, bowing her head modestly as a soft blush rose in her cheeks. "Now c'mon…we're gonna be late if we don't hurry."

"Oh don't start," Harry laughed as the two made their way to the door. They locked it quickly, and Harry took one of Mel's hands in his, before they started down the path that Harry had seen everyone taking earlier.

As he'd expected, they came closer and closer to the area with no snow, which they had caught a glimpse of when they arrived. Only this time, there were no barriers stopping them from entering. Harry led Mel around the tents they had seen before, where they both came to an abrupt halt at the sight before them.

"This is gorgeous…" Mel whispered and Harry nodded in agreement, as they took it all in.

The snow that had been falling on their walk over was still doing so, but not where they stood. It was like an inverse snow-globe, the delicate flakes cascading down the edges of the barrier. There was a light frost on the trees, Harry could see now that they were closer, giving a crystalline shimmer to the branches as the afternoon sun hit them. Weaved into the smaller trees which were set closer in, were long, white, silk scarves, which would billow out softly every so often as a gentle breeze came though.

At the far edge of the clearing was a tall man in dark grey robes, standing near a podium. There were no chairs set up, everyone would remain standing for the ceremony, and Harry could see Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins already standing off to the right, the side Sirius would be on, with the Molly and Arthur just a bit further away speaking with people Harry didn't recognize.

Making their way through the small crowd, Harry led Mel towards their friends, realizing they must be the last to arrive, as no one else had followed them in.

"I was wondering if you'd be on time," Ron whispered when they finally reached him.

"You can talk to Mel about our being late," Harry replied with a smirk, feeling her nudge his ribs sharply and failing to edge out of the way.

"Well be glad you weren't," Hermione spoke up, and Harry glanced over to see she had chosen a set of blue dress robes as well, only hers were much darker then Mel's. Her hair was left down, but much straighter than usual. "Someone was looking for you just a few minutes ago," she continued.

"Who?" Harry asked, glancing around.

"She didn't say her name," Ginny piped up, edging out from behind her brother just enough so Harry could see her lavender dress robes, "just that she needed to make sure of where you would be standing…"

"Oh for the rings, right," Harry said.

"Rings?" Ron asked, but his question was drowned out by his mother's voice.

"Harry, Melanie! Look at the two of you!" she cried as she and Arthur rejoined their children. "Melanie you look absolutely stunning! And Harry, look at you…how handsome! I can't believe how grown up you…"

"Mum," Ron cut in testily, giving his mother a warning look. "You don't have to tell everyone here you know…"

"I wasn't telling everyone here," Molly replied, brushing her son off as if he were simply acting silly.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley," Harry said politely, smiling happily at her and secretly hoping she wouldn't continue. People had begun to stare. He didn't stop her, however, when she reached out to give him a big hug, telling him how proud she was, before finally releasing him as a short woman wearing black robes came up behind him.

"Mr. Potter? This way please," she said without giving him a chance to reply. Harry quickly told the others he'd see them in a bit, before following the woman up to the front of the crowd, just off to the side of the podium. He was joined only seconds later as Sirius finally arrived, decked out in dark dress robes, with a white ribbon that was pinned just in from his left shoulder. He went directly up to the front.

Smiling at his godfather, Harry nodded reassuringly, seeing the nervousness in the older man's face, but the joy as well…Sirius was happier than Harry could ever remember seeing him, and it made his heart swell for him.

A brief moment later, soft music filled the tiny half-globe, and everyone looked to the back, where Marzia came slowly up through the path between the crowds. She wasn't wearing robes, but an elegant white gown with long sleeves that slipped just off her shoulders. It was entirely form fitting, showing off her shapely figure, until just below her hips, where it flared out ever so slightly.

Marzia made her way to the front, positively glowing as she closed the distance between her and Sirius, and when she reached him, she waited, smiling lovingly as he took her hands in his, leading her closer to the podium.

When the music faded slowly away, the man in the grey robes began speaking, and the ceremony was underway. Harry spared a quick glance towards the back again, where he had noticed during Marzia's entrance that Dumbledore and McGonagall had been standing. Albus noticed him looking, gave him a faint smile and winked, before they both turned their attention back to the minister's words.

While the ceremony was quite short, it was both beautiful and sweet. Sirius and Marzia exchanged their vows that they had written to one another in front of their friends and loved ones, neither one taking their eyes from the other.

When it was time, Harry stepped forward as his godfather looked to him, and handed him the two gold wedding bands. Marzia smiled sweetly at him as he moved back into the crowd, letting the ceremony continue.

As the vows were finished, and no one made a sound as the minister asked if there were any who opposed the union, he continued with the closing.

"I now pronounce you husband…and wife."

Several people began to cheer as he continued.

"You may kiss the bride."

And Sirius did. He brushed his fingers softly along the outline of his wife's face, before leaning forward and kissing her gently…but passionately. The two stood there for a long moment, lost in the kiss…and each other, until finally separating to the loud cheers of the crowd around them.

With large smiles on their faces and affection in their eyes, Sirius and Marzia walked back through the crowd together, stopping as everyone came up to congratulate them…and wish them well.

Harry made his way back to his friends, knowing he would have time to speak with Sirius later.

"You didn't tell me you were the ring bearer," Mel said as Harry rejoined the group.

"I only found out a short while ago…while you were getting ready, actually…Sirius came to ask me if I would."

"Oh that's so sweet!" Mrs. Weasley sobbed joyfully, hearing Harry's statement. "It was such a beautiful ceremony, wasn't it? So perfect!"

"Yes mum, perfect," Ron said, quickly edging he and Hermione around her and motioning for Harry and Mel to go with them.

When they reached the tents, they found they were set up for a reception, and people were quickly filling the tables and chairs, which were set up in rows.

Harry, Mel, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins quickly found a table for themselves, watching as the ones around them filled up. There was a band playing soft music, and as the night went on many people got up to dance in the area cleared near the front.

Marzia and Sirius were still making rounds, stopping to talk with everyone, and Harry just smiled, fully happy for his godfather.

When he finally caught sight of Dumbledore again, however, Harry jumped up and made his way over to the head minister.

"Hello Harry," Albus said, catching sight of him as he was stepping away from the long buffet table, where the food trays were endlessly refilling themselves. "Very nice job you did up there today."

"Thank you…" Harry nodded, smiling, "I'm glad you came…I know Sirius is."

"I told you, I wouldn't miss it," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling. "I will however have to miss the rest of this lovely reception. I must return to London for this evening's activities."

"I understand," Harry nodded. "And I'm sure the New Year's celebration will be fun…"

"Possibly, yes," Dumbledore chuckled. "But I know Travis is looking forward to seeing the fireworks…which I promised he could do from inside the office, so I must get back there in time for his arrival."

"I bet he'll love that," Harry grinned. "Tell him I said hi."

"I certainly will," Dumbledore nodded. "And now, I must be on my way…enjoy your evening, Harry."

"You too, sir!" Harry called after him, watching as the older wizard made his way to the back of the tent, stopping once to speak with Sirius and Marzia again, before exiting into the chilly evening air.

As the night grew later, the crowd only seemed to get more excited. They may not have been in the main square in London, but they would still be celebrating New Year's. Only Sirius and Marzia would be leaving. They were, of course, taking a honeymoon, and apparently, the sooner the better. They would be leaving shortly, on their way to France for what was sure to be a blissful, relaxing week. Harry had tried to persuade them to go for longer, but Sirius didn't like the idea of being gone for too long. A week would be fine for now he had said, and Marzia was quick to add that there would always be chances for other…trips.

"Have a wonderful time," Harry said only moments before the newlyweds were getting ready to leave.

"Send pictures whenever you can!" Mel added.

"Yes lots of pictures," Ginny added, happily.

"We will, I promise," Sirius said, making sure the last of the gifts were loaded into the trunk of a small white car. The trunk, of course, had been charmed, or nothing would have fit as easily as it did.

"Oh I'm so happy for you both!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly, her eyes glassed over as she leaned out and hugged first Sirius and then Marzia tightly.

"Thank you, thank you all…so much," Marzia said, looking both elated and as if she thought she was forgetting something.

"And thank you, Harry," Sirius began.

"Sirius…just get going," Harry laughed gently. "Enjoy your honeymoon and we'll talk when you get back, alright?"

"Thank you," Sirius nodded, smiling widely. He and Marzia waved good-bye to everyone, calling out thank you once again, before finally getting into the car. Everyone stepped back, as the car engine revved to life, and Sirius drove it forward a few feet, before it set off into the air.

Harry smiled at Mr. Weasley, knowing he had definitely been behind that particular gift, before everyone headed back to the half-globe for the celebration to continue. The spell was still holding up, and it was a bit warmer in there than in the tents, which would be the perfect place to wait for the New Year, and the light show, which was promised at midnight.

The small group had just found a place to settle down and wait, when Mel tugged gently on Harry's hand, pulling him a few feet from the others.

"I think…" she began slowly as he turned towards her, smiling curiously. "I don't want to wait out here for the celebration."

"Oh…are you tired?" he laughed gently, thinking again how positively beautiful she was. A light breeze came up from behind her, gently blowing loose strands of her hair, whipping them around her face, and Harry reached up to brush them back, his fingers touching gently to her soft skin.

"Well, I just feel like…heading back to the room…for now…" Mel said slowly, gazing up at him. She pulled him a few feet away from the people they were near, looking deeply into his eyes before continuing. "Come back with me?"

"Well of course I'll walk you back," Harry began, smiling down at her. "Though you don't look so tired that you can't stay up…"

"I didn't ask you to walk me back," Mel replied simply, and in that moment, Harry realized what she had said.

"Are you sure?" he asked, almost whispering. She nodded faintly; a soft longing in her eyes as she gently squeezed his hand. Harry could only smile back at her, and slipped an arm around her small waist, as the two began the walk back to the lodge together.

As the early morning sun shown in through the windows, Harry slowly opened his eyes to the sound of soft, persistent tapping. Glancing towards the noise, he saw a rather small, snowy owl, working fervently at pushing open one of the slightly cracked windows, gradually making an opening large enough so it could fit through.

Smiling lazily, Harry considered getting up to help it, but a gentle movement beside him turned his attention away from the owl. Mel was still sound asleep, the faintest trace of a smile on her lips, and Harry felt a pleasant shiver run through him. He moved onto his side once again, gently pulling Mel closer into him, the scent of her hair filling him…

Slowly, however, Mel began to stir, and Harry could only grin as she yawned contentedly, before finally focusing on him, and smiling softly.

"What's that noise?" she whispered, her eyes shifting to the source of the tapping.

"Just the post…probably only with the Daily Prophet, I'm sure," Harry answered quietly. He lifted a hand and stroked her hair gently, remembering last night…the soft glow of Mel's smooth skin…they had talked for sometime after as well…until neither could stay awake any longer…and drifted off in each other's arms.

"Oh the poor thing," Mel laughed, seeing the struggling owl. "Help it Harry…" she pleaded. Harry sighed with a grin, beginning to shimmy out from under the warm covers when the small owl finally managed to squeeze through with a brief poof of loosened feathers that quickly began floating to the floor. The bird, however, soared across the room, fluttering madly as it perched on Harry's covered knee, dropped the one parcel it had been carrying and immediately jumped back up in a swift flurry of movement.

Harry laughed quietly as the bird inched back through the opening it had made for itself, before taking off into the chilly January air.

"That was adorable," Mel said, smiling as she slowly pushed herself up, wrapping her arms around one of Harry's and resting her chin on his shoulder. "So, what does it say? Anything about the celebration last night?"

"Probably," Harry replied softly, obviously not concerned in the least with the paper as he turned and kissed her forehead softly. Moving his free hand up one of her arms, he slid his fingers along her skin until they were just beneath her chin, and raised her face to his, kissing her softly.

The sudden harsh pounding on the door, however, was quite unexpected, and both Harry and Mel jumped a foot when it began.

"Mel? Are you awake? It's Ron!"

"I-I'm awake," Mel stammered apprehensively, looking helplessly at Harry who simply nodded.

"Do you know where Harry is? I can't find him and…"

"I'm sure he's fine," Mel called back quickly.

"No, we have to find him," Ron said, definite anxiety clear in his voice despite being muffled through the door. "Something's happened."

"What do you…?" Mel began, questioningly.

"I'm going to try his room again…maybe he's still asleep. Meet me up at our room when you're dressed!" he yelled, his voice fading as he had already begun stepping away from the door.

Mel didn't bother to reply as she looked up at Harry, feeling both worried and confused.

"What do you think he was talking about?" she whispered.

"I don't know," Harry replied grimly, a knot settling in the pit of his stomach as his eyes fell on the paper lying inches from his hand. Realizing how Ron had come to the door not long after the owl delivered the post, Harry began untying the string that was keeping the rolled parchment closed, not expecting anything, but still unable to ignore the feeling in his gut.

However, nothing…nothing in the world, could have prepared him for what he saw when at last the paper was unfurled, and Harry felt his jaw drop in disbelief and horror as his blood turned to ice, while he read the words in front of him.

"What is it?" Mel asked, feeling Harry go tense beside her. She leant forward to peer over his shoulder at the Daily Prophet, and immediately gasped in shock.

"It…this…no…" Harry stammered, shaking his head slowly. "There must be a mistake…there's just…this can't be…" he trailed off, suddenly feeling very ill. He stared at the parchment in front of him, willing there to be something…anything…that would prove it to be false…fake…anything other than the truth…but there was nothing, and the headline blared tauntingly back at him, while he sat in stunned silence.

Albus Dumbledore Arrested For Murder!

"How?" Mel cried, fear evident in her tone. "He was just here! We all saw him yesterday!"

"I don't know," Harry replied grimly, scanning the article fervently now, wanting to know exactly what the head minister was accused of. "They're saying he killed two people…" he began.

"Who?" Mel asked immediately.

"There's no names," Harry stated, still reading. "It says here they were both found in his office last night…a woman and a man…one…he stopped abruptly, his voice catching in his throat as his eyes took in the print faster than he could speak it.

"One what?" Mel prompted apprehensively, trying to see where he'd been reading.

"One was a witch…" Harry began slowly, his stomach twisting. "The other was a…a muggle."

"A muggle?" Mel whispered. "Harry…you don't think…I mean…they can't mean…it isn't Travis, right?" she finally managed to get out.

"If it is then whoever accused Dumbledore is mad," Harry spat, heatedly. He felt a sudden shock of anger run through him and pushed the covers back entirely, jumping to his feet beside the bed. "Albus would not have harmed Travis…never…and to accuse him of…of…" he trailed off, far too infuriated to continue speaking.

"Let's get up to Ron's right away," Mel said quickly. "We have to do something…"

"Yes, we do," Harry agreed, determination in his narrowed eyes as he glanced at the paper once more. It was only when he felt Mel come up beside him a long moment later that he finally tore his gaze away.

"Here," she said quietly, gently holding out an armful of clothes. Harry felt a rush of sadness as he took the bundle from her, and promptly tossed them onto the bed, pulling Mel forward into a fierce embrace.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean for this to be…"

"Harry…I don't care about that…" Mel interrupted, her voice sounding quite strained. "Let's just find the others…quickly…and see what we can do to help Dumbledore."

Harry nodded, taking a slow step back and picking up his things.

"I'll meet you out front in ten minutes, alright?" he asked gently, and Mel nodded in reply, before turning away and heading for the washroom. Harry watched her for a brief moment, before turning away himself. He threw his robes on quickly, before exiting the room and running next door to his own, trying not to think about the pounding headache that had come so quickly and was now wanting to break through his skull…or the endless questions running through his mind.

He put on fresh clothes and threw everything left into his bag, before rushing out front to meet Mel, and together, the two of them set off immediately for the Weasleys' room.

"Where have you been?" Ron exclaimed as he caught sight of Harry and Mel. He was just returning to the large room as they were arriving. "I've been searching everywhere!"

"I was…in bed…" Harry stammered uncomfortably, before continuing quickly. "Until I saw the news…"

"It's insane," Ron spat darkly as they stepped into the large cabin to find Hermione there waiting for them, looking worried. "We have to do something."

"Your parents left already," Hermione began, coming up to them as the door closed behind the small group. "They had Fred and George take Ginny home…they want us to wait for them there as well…"

"No," Ron said at once, shaking his head in determination. "I think we should go to London…"

"Ron's right," Harry nodded. "I can't just sit around waiting to hear from them…we need to get there right away."

"What can we do though?" Mel asked quietly. "I'm not saying I think we shouldn't go…but realistically…what can we do once we're there?"

"I don't know," Harry replied honestly. "But I do know that whatever actually happened last night…Dumbledore is innocent. I don't need to see any evidence to be sure of that…and we have to be there…to do anything in our power to help him."

"Let's go then," Hermione said at once, "Let's drop off our bags…and head straight to the ministry building."

"We'll meet you there," Ron added, looking to Harry and Mel. "We'll be right out front."

"Fine," Harry nodded, "See you in a few minutes."

A few minutes, however, turned out to be just over half an hour. The four quickly dropped off their things at home, before apparating to just nearby the ministry building, where there was an enormous crowd of people filling the street. It took the four friends a good deal of time to finally locate one another, before pushing their way through the angry witches and wizards, and into the lobby of the building.

"This isn't going to work," Hermione said darkly, on her tiptoes trying to see over the throngs of people in front of her. "It'll be hours before we can make it up to the grates to get upstairs…and I can't even tell if they're activated right now…"

"There's no other way around?" Mel asked, turning to glance at Ron. "Has your father or brother shown you…?"

"That's the only way I've ever gone up," Ron shrugged, looking frustrated.

"But it's not the only way I've used," Harry added quickly, turning in the tight space the four of them were standing in to glance at the opposite wall. "And it looks like the path is clear…c'mon."

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked, taking Ron's hand so they wouldn't get separated.

"You'll see," was all Harry said in reply, not wanting any of the crowd near them to overhear and do the same. They reached the door that Harry had gone through on his first visit to the ministry, when the receptionist had been too busy to give him the proper help he needed to get to Dumbledore's office. He noticed now that the same receptionist was at her desk, looking about ready to go out of her mind from the people around her, barraging her with questions.

"Okay, one at a time," Harry whispered, glancing nervously at the nearest group of people. Luckily, they were paying no attention to anything the four friends were doing, too concerned about getting to the grates on the opposite side of the lobby. The small group managed to slip through the doorway unnoticed, and Ron, being the last in line, shut it silently behind him.

"I never even knew this was here," he commented with a small laugh as they began ascending the stairway.

"I'm guessing not many people do," Harry replied. "They didn't even bother locking the door, apparently…"

"And why climb stairs when the grates take just seconds?" Mel added, sardonically.

"They obviously don't bother keeping this stairway clean in the event someone wants to use it either," Hermione commented disgustedly, pulling her hand away from the dusty banister and wiping it on her clothes.

They made their way up to the sixth floor as quickly as possible, having no idea what to expect when they got there. Harry was the first one to reach the landing, and immediately crossed the short distance to the doorway, but stopped abruptly as he glanced to his left. He'd only been in this hallway once, but something looked different…

"Harry c'mon," Ron's voice snapped him out of his thoughts at once. He glanced over his shoulder to see the others waiting anxiously behind him, before throwing open the door and stepping through into the bright hallway.

The four friends set off immediately in the direction of the head minister's office, no one having any idea who would be there, or what they would say. They could hear voices ahead of them, however, and turned the corner to find a very crowded corridor. But before any of them could take another step, one voice rose above the others, sounding quite irritated.

"What are they doing here?" Thurston spat angrily, and Harry was sure he must've meant them…but was surprised to see the thin man, who was stalking towards the four friends, come to a stop a few feet away. "I believe I told you all we would speak with you later…you'll have to await any further statements downstairs with the rest of them."

Harry watched, as what appeared to be a news crew and a reporter argued with Thurston, but several larger men, who Harry could only guess were security guards, flanked the bald minister on either side, awaiting his orders.

In seconds, the guards were ushering the news crew away, to escort them downstairs, and Thurston kept his eyes on the men, until they neared Harry and his friends.

"Mr. Potter," he hissed darkly, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he stepped towards the group of friends. "You and your friends are trespassing…I suggest you leave unless you want to be arrested…"

"This is a public building," Ron spoke up suddenly. "You can't do that."

"Yes and this is a private floor," Thurston snapped in reply, "and the scene of a crime…now get out."

"Harry Potter!" the reporter cut in suddenly, a large smile spreading across his face. "Were you close to any of the victims? Did you know them personally?"

"What…? No," Harry replied hesitantly, not having expected the questions. "I came here to help Albus Dumbledore," he continued pointedly, saying it more to Thurston than the reporter, and continuing on, a deadly serious tone in his voice. "He was framed."

"Really?" the reporter asked, his eyes wide with excitement. "How do you…?"

"Enough!" Thurston cried angrily, his voice echoing in the now silent corridor. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch the exchange. "I'm warning you Potter…get out now or…" he trailed off, seeing what Harry recognized to be a Quick-Quotes Quill in front of the reporter, fiercely writing down every word that was spoken.

"Put that away," Thurston began, darkly, watching as the man scrambled to stuff the quill into his bag before one of the guards could confiscate it. "And for the last time Potter…get out."

"No," Harry replied determinedly. "Albus is innocent and I won't…"

"Fine, have it your way," Thurston cut in icily, motioning to two more guards, standing near the closest floo grates. They immediately started towards Harry.

"I wonder what the citizens of Wizarding London…not to mention the rest of the wizarding world, will think when they hear you've arrested someone who was only trying to help the highly-respected and well-loved head minister…" Hermione spoke up quickly, continuing as Thurston's eyes narrowed. "Especially when they find out that that someone was Harry Potter…who many people know was very close with Albus during his final years as headmaster of Hogwarts…"

"If all this nonsense against Dumbledore proves to be true…I doubt the people will be looking to you to be their new head minister…" Ron added, allowing a small smirk to cross his lips.

Thurston glared hatefully at the group of friends, glancing briefly towards the reporter who stood by eagerly awaiting his response.

"What are you waiting for?" he spat at the guards near the reporter. "Get them out of here!" He waited a long moment, until the news crew was out of sight, before turning back to Harry.

"Your feeble threats don't frighten me in the least," he began darkly. "And I have every right to arrest you for trespassing…" he trailed off, his expression changing to one of sympathy…with great effort. "But I realize you must be distraught over this shocking news, and perhaps I acted in haste."

"I want to know why Dumbledore was arrested for murder, when I know he could never take someone else's life…not without good reason, at least," Harry said evenly.

"Then you'll have to wait like the rest of the world," Thurston replied quickly. "It will be in the papers."

"Sure, what you decide to tell them will be," Mel spoke up suddenly.

"And you are?" Thurston asked snidely.

"Melanie Tristen," she replied briskly. "We've almost met once before…"

"Ah…I thought you looked familiar," he said, brushing her off. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

"Mr. Thurston why was Dumbledore arrested?" Harry asked, trying to hold in his anger. "Who is he accused of killing?"

"You answered one of your own questions, Potter," Thurston sneered. "He has been arrested for murder…and it was his assistant and his nephew, who were the unfortunate victims."

Harry felt a pang of sadness twist inside of him. He had already suspected this answer…but a part of him hoped it wasn't true, and so it had not been…until this moment.

"Don't you think it's a little odd he would kill his own nephew?" Hermione asked. "And then his assistant…what reason would he have?"   
"I don't know," Thurston shrugged indifferently. "Maybe he got tired of that muggle's incessant foolish behavior and simply did something about it…I don't claim to know how someone who is clearly insane thinks…"

"Dumbledore is not insane," Harry said, sharply.

"Think what you like, the evidence is against him," Thurston replied smugly.

"What evidence?" Ron asked, angrily.

"That, I'm afraid, is really none of your business," Thurston said, now sounding bored. "And I'm going to have to insist you all leave now…I've answered quite enough of your questions."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off by Hermione, as she thanked the minister for his time. She gave Harry a pointed stare, before taking Ron's hand and starting back the way they'd come. Harry waited half a second, feeling only hatred and anger as he looked back at Thurston, before turning away and following the others.

"Can you believe him?" Ron asked angrily as he started descending the stairs. "I hope my father can tell us more than he did, because…" he trailed off, looking over his shoulder. "Harry…what is it?"

Harry stood on the landing to the sixth floor, looking off to the side intently, before stepping towards the broom closet.

"I thought this looked different," Harry said absently, moving his hands to the large chain lying limply in the handles of the doors. "This was locked last time I came through here," he began, taking the chain in his hands and easily pulling it free. "But now the lock itself is gone." He let the heavy links fall to the floor, before beginning to open the doors.

"And what is it that you think you're doing?" an unfamiliar voice spoke up from behind them.

Harry whirled around where he stood, as the person who had spoken stepped onto the landing of the sixth floor. He had been coming from upstairs, apparently, but no one had heard him until he spoke.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, eyeing the dark stranger suspiciously. He had light blonde hair, which was left a bit longer in the front, and the ends of it touched the corners of his dark brown eyes…eyes that Harry felt he knew…but couldn't place from where.

"First answer my question," the man replied evenly.

"We're here to help Albus Dumbledore," Ron spoke up at once, glaring sordidly at the stranger.

"Well I don't think you'll find him in that broom closet," the man snapped briskly, pushing past Harry with a swish of his pristine black robes and placing his hand on the door, which was barely cracked open, before forcing it shut with a bang.

"Now answer my question," Harry said darkly, not willing to give up so quickly. "Who are you?"

"I work here," the man replied crisply. "As a caretaker."

"They sure give you janitors fancy uniforms," Ron remarked sardonically, obviously not buying the man's answer.

"I'm not a janitor," the stranger began through clenched teeth, glaring daggers at Ron. "But I do work here, and I can't say I recognize any of you as employees…so therefore you have no right to be searching through anything on-"

The man cut off abruptly as the door that led to the sixth floor hall opened quickly.

"What's going on?" Draco Malfoy asked, the expression of exasperation on his features being replaced by one of confusion. "What are you all doing in the stairway? And…who are you?" he asked, his gaze finally falling on the dark man.

"I'm one of the caretakers," the man replied curtly. "Ewan Norwood, sir," he continued, inclining his head slightly towards Draco.

"Oh," Malfoy replied absently, a superior air to his tone as he looked past Ewan. "Well?" he asked Harry. "Care to explain…whatever it is you're doing?"

"I'm trying to see what's inside this closet," Harry replied at once, honestly glad to see Draco, hoping he would help.

"Why?" Malfoy asked, obviously failing to see any reason why someone would want to open a broom closet.

"Well, because I think there may be something in it…" Harry began.

"Yes, brooms," Ewan cut in, rolling his eyes. "Mops, buckets, dust rags…"

"Something that's not supposed to be there," Harry interrupted pointedly, talking over Ewan.

"And is there a reason you think that?" Draco asked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking bored.

"Well at first it was because the lock was missing…I came through here a few months back and this closet was locked tightly. It looked like no one had been in it for a long while. But now I'm positive there's something in there…because he doesn't want us to look…" Harry trailed off, looking pointedly at Ewan as he did so.

"Really?" Draco asked, arching one eyebrow in interest. He started forward, bumping into Ewan as he passed, "Sorry Evan," and coming to a stop in front of the double doors.

"Sir, if you'll just…" Ewan began, the slightest hint of anxiety in his tone.

"Evan, you're standing in the way…" Draco stated impatiently, motioning with his hand for the older man to step aside. "Find someplace else to clean up…or whatever it is you were doing…"

Ewan stared back at Draco for a brief moment, his expression filled with anger and frustration, before he turned abruptly and stalked towards the entryway to the sixth floor, stepping into the corridor and letting the door slam shut behind him.

Draco shrugged indifferently at Ewan's sudden decision to leave, as Ron, Hermione and Mel came closer to where he and Harry were standing.

"Thanks," Harry said somewhat awkwardly, seeing his friends weren't quite sure how to respond to what Malfoy had just done as well.

"I didn't do it for you," Draco explained, as if it should be obvious. "I want to see what that janitor was hiding in here."

Harry stifled a small laugh, rolling his eyes and thinking he should've known that would be Draco's motivation, but quickly brought his attention back to the present, as Malfoy reached forward, turning one of the handles and opening the door to the broom closet.

The small group peered inside for only seconds, before Draco spoke up, a curious edge to his tone.

"Well what have we here…?"

Draco reached forward into the shadows, the lights in the stairwell doing little to illuminate the dark closet, but as luck would have it, what they were looking for was not hard to see.

"Someone was in a hurry," he began, dragging a large pail out onto the landing. "They didn't hide this very well."

"They probably weren't expecting anyone to look in here," Hermione said quickly, watching as Draco drew out a thick bunch of dark grey material from the bucket.

"The robes," Harry said, recognizing the material immediately as Draco shook it open. "It's one of those robes you wore when you were going into the dark forest!"

"It is," Draco agreed with a brief nod. "The question is, what is it doing in a broom closet?"

"Well someone obviously threw it in there, so no one would see it," Mel said.

"And I'll bet that someone would be Ewan," Ron added, narrowing his eyes.

"We don't know that yet," Hermione said quickly.

"Oh c'mon you can't tell me you believe that lie about being a caretaker," Ron said, looking pointedly down at Hermione.

"Of course I don't," she replied. "But whatever is happening here…I believe Ewan is involved…and I don't think he's doing it alone."

"Well whoever is behind this isn't going to like that we found these robes…we have to get them to someone fast," Harry said. "Ron…where's your dad's office from here? We could-"

The doorway to the sixth floor flung open with such force everyone startled at once, before turning to see Thurston glaring darkly back at them, Ewan just a step behind him.

"Mr. Malfoy," Thurston began icily. "Explain yourself this instant."

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, confused. "That janitor was hiding something in this closet, and I wanted to see what it was…"

"That janitor, as you so rudely refer to him by, happens to be the sole witness to last night's crimes."

"What?" Harry exclaimed in shock, looking to Ewan, who was staring smugly back at him.

"I thought I told you to leave, Potter," Thurston spat, seeming to only just notice Harry's presence.

"Hang on," Ron spoke up, sounding annoyed. "How is it that he was the only witness? What was he doing near Dumbledore's office at that exact moment as to…?"

"I'm a caretaker, remember?" Ewan cut in, haughtily. "I was working on this floor when it happened."

"How lucky for you," Harry said quietly, glaring at Thurston. "I bet it makes this investigation so much easier having a witness…"

"Of course it does," Thurston replied irately. "Though your stupid questions are certainly working against all of that…"

"Why was he hiding the robes?" Draco spoke up suddenly, nodding at Ewan. Thurston simply looked at him distastefully.

"What are you talking about?" he asked briskly.

"The robes," Draco repeated slowly, now holding them up so the thin minister could see. "I found them stuffed into a pail in this closet which he tried to stop me from opening…that only leads me to believe that he hid them there…so my question is, why?"

"Those could have been put there by anyone," Thurston replied with an air of impatience, pushing the question aside with a swift wave of his hand.

"Yes well last I knew, none of the ministers here were in the practice of mistreating such valuable items as this…" Draco continued, undaunted, "and we both know none of us would be using these stairs right now if the floo grates were active."

"So?" Thurston asked, clearly aggravated. "I don't see what a pair of robes in a broom closet has to do with anything that's happened."

"Mr. Thurston someone hid these for a reason," Harry said quickly, having no idea why he was even bothering to explain this to the indifferent man. "They were in a hurry, obviously, or the robes would have been hidden better…"

"That's it…I've had enough of this," Thurston cut in suddenly. He reached forward, stealing the robes from Draco's grasp and stuffing them under his arm. "I know what you're doing, Potter…but you're just going to have to face the facts. Your precious headmaster has murdered two people…he will stand trial, and he will go to Azkaban for his crimes. I will not allow you to disrupt this investigation with your foolish suspicions and guesses because all you will succeed in doing…is slowing the process down. Now if you do not leave this building in the next five minutes, I will have you escorted out and banned from reentry."

Harry felt hot anger rising up inside of him, but knew there was nothing he could do. Arguing with Thurston was pointless, he obviously wanted Dumbledore to be found guilty and if Harry were to present him with irrefutable proof of the head minister's innocence Thurston would do everything in his power to discredit it. Stepping past Draco silently, Harry joined his friends and they quietly set off down the stairway together.

As they reached the first floor, Harry took hold of the door handle, ready to open it, when Mel's voice stopped him.

"Hey…what's that?" she asked, stepping towards the small open area to their right. She bent down, lifted something small from the dusty floor, quickly turned back to the others, and held it up.

"Now we know why the closet was unlocked," Harry commented, seeing the thick padlock in Mel's hand. "He must've been in such a hurry he knocked it over the edge while he was hiding the robes."

"Great," Ron shrugged. "How does that help us?"

"It doesn't," Hermione said glumly. "An unlocked closet means nothing…we needed those robes."

"Yeah well even if we had them, we don't know what the person who wore them actually used them for," Ron said quickly.

"Well when the ministers came to the school, to search the dark forest after Hadley was attacked, they all wore those robes," Harry began. "It was so that nothing in the forest would be aware of their presence…so they wouldn't have to worry about anything coming after them."

"So then it would make it easy for someone to sneak around," Mel said quietly.

"And since Dumbledore can usually always tell when another magic user is near," Hermione began, her eyes alight as she spoke, "whoever was wearing that cloak could have used it to take him by surprise!"

"But how in Merlin's name could they manage to kill Dumbledore's nephew and his assistant without him seeing?" Ron asked. "Don't you think he would've done something to stop that?"

"If all three of them were in the room when the real murderer was then probably," Harry nodded. "But we don't know the time frame that this all happened in…we don't know…we don't know who was killed first," he said sadly. "Maybe Albus found them…" he trailed off as the sound of footsteps caught his attention, and looked towards the stairs.

"Are you all still here?" Draco asked, obviously not caring if they answered or not.

"No Malfoy, we're a figment of your imagination, just keep walking, won't you?" Ron snapped testily.

"That was my intention," Draco sneered, narrowing his eyes at the redhead and moving for the door.

"Wait," Harry said, quickly sidestepping to block his path. "You have to help us…"

"I don't have to do anything," Draco interrupted curtly, staring emotionlessly back at Harry.

"Albus is innocent," Harry persisted. "You're telling me you're just going to walk away? Even after what you just saw?"

"What did I see, Potter…hmm?" Draco asked, challengingly. "You have no idea what you're getting into. Everything…everything…points to Dumbledore as the murderer."

"Why would he kill Travis?" Harry asked stiffly. "His own nephew…and Simone…what reason would he have to get rid of her? It doesn't make sense, don't you understand?"

"I don't know," Draco replied curtly. "What I do know, is that both of them were found dead in Dumbledore's office, seemingly by the killing curse, and when his wand was tested that was the last spell it had performed. Add that to having an eyewitness, and I'd say he's going to Azkaban…" he trailed off, looking at the stunned faces around him.

"We both know," Harry began after a long pause, "no matter what evidence there is…that Dumbledore didn't do this."

"Maybe so," Draco shrugged indifferently. "But knowing isn't going to get him off…"

"You're scared," Ron jumped in suddenly, glaring darkly at Malfoy. "You know we're right and you're not going to do anything because you don't want to chance getting yourself into trouble."

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Weasley," Draco spat, his tone clearly betraying to them that Ron had been correct.

"You coward," Ron muttered, disgustedly.

"It will mean a lot more than my job if I'm caught helping you," Draco said suddenly, his eyes flashing. "I'm not stupid…I know Dumbledore would never do this…but someone wants him out of the way…to the point that two people were murdered to make it happen," he paused for a moment before adding, quietly, "What about your father…or your brother? Can't one of them help you…they have the same access I do…?"

"Draco, who's in charge of this investigation…and in part, of the ministry, right now?" Harry asked quickly.

"Mr. Thurston," Draco replied.

"Right, and Thurston knows Arthur is going to fight against what's being done," Harry said. "He doesn't care for him and I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to keep Mr. Weasley as far out of this investigation as possible…"

"So you think he trusts me?" Draco asked, arching one eyebrow. "Is that what you're getting at?"

"You tell me," Harry said quickly. "How does Thurston treat you?"

"Like anyone else, I suppose," Draco shrugged. "He's not rude, if that's what you're asking."

"So he treats you like an equal," Hermione said.

"Well he did," Draco said, before continuing quickly. "But after what just happened I doubt that'll continue. He probably already thinks I'm helping you…which I'm not," he added pointedly.

"I bet it would be easy enough for you to get back on his good side," Harry said quickly. "You never said you were helping us up there…just that you thought Ewan was hiding something and you wanted to see what it was. I'm sure Thurston would do the same if he saw an employee acting suspiciously…he can't hold it against you for long…"

"Look, I said no, alright?" Draco spoke up briskly, fixing Harry with a dark glare. "Now get out of my way, Potter, before you get me in trouble again."

Nodding stiffly, biting his tongue to stop the words he wanted to scream at the young minister, Harry moved aside and allowed Draco to step through the door, watching as it closed softly behind him.

As soon as they were once again alone, Ron let out an expletive that made Hermione's jaw drop in shock as she reprimanded him at once.

"He deserves to be called worse than that!" Ron spat stubbornly. "Stupid, rotten git…"

"I can't believe he just did that," Mel said quietly. "I can't believe he just walked away…"

"I guess we should've expected it from him," Harry said bitterly, feeling sick over Malfoy's indifference to the situation. "Let's just get out of here…we can talk about it more later."

Nodding in agreement, the four friends silently stepped out into the still crowded lobby, and made their way through to the doors that led out onto the streets of Wizarding London.

Once away from the ministry building, the four friends disapparated from the busy streets quickly, arriving back at the Burrow together. Arthur and Molly were still not home of course, and the twins told Ron that their mother had been checking in every so often, but she would be waiting at the ministry building until their father was leaving.

"That's it then," Ron said, sounding defeated as the four friends settled down in the living room. "We won't know anything else until my parents get home…"

"Hey," Ginny's voice floated into them as she poked her head through the doorway. "You're here…what took you all so long?"

"You don't want to know," Ron relied, but proceeded to tell her, with the others' help, of what had happened on their trip to the ministry.

"So…what do we do now?" Ginny whispered, having paled slightly.

"There's not much we can do until we know more," Hermione said.

"Right," Ron agreed glumly. "We have to wait until dad gets back…and see if he can tell us anything."

"Dad will probably just want you to stay out of it," Ginny said, knowingly. "Mum too…they'll think you'll get yourself into trouble."

"We're already in trouble," Harry spoke up then. "All of us…if Dumbledore goes to prison then Thurston will be acting head minister, just like he was after Fudge went missing. If he's gone through this much trouble to make sure Dumbledore is out of his way, then he probably has something all set up, assuring that he becomes the next official head minister of magic."

"Well Draco won't help us," Mel began. "We don't know yet if Arthur will, and if he does how do we know Thurston isn't seeing to it that he doesn't get all the correct information?"

"The same will go for Percy too, I'm sure," Ron said darkly. "I doubt Thurston would trust anyone in my family right now."

"Then we'll just have to find someone else," Harry said quickly. "I mean, there must be more ministers that believe Dumbledore is innocent…there have to be."

"I agree," Hermione nodded. "Now the trouble will be finding one that's on our side but who Thurston doesn't suspect," she pointed out. "Could prove to be difficult."

"Maybe McGonagall could help?" Mel suggested. "Or one of the other professors?"

"I doubt it," Harry shook his head. "I mean yes they'll help, I'm sure…but they have as much sway over the ministry as any of us do. They won't be able to find out any more than us."

"Marzia works for the ministry," Ron said suddenly. "Maybe she can…"

"Thurston definitely will have people watching her, Ron," Hermione interrupted quickly. "Probably more so than any of the others," she paused, turning her gaze to Harry. "Are you going to write Sirius?"

"If I haven't heard from him by tomorrow, then yes," Harry nodded grimly. "I hate to disturb them now…but I think he'd be more upset if I didn't tell him…"

The discussion continued on, the five of them trying to come up with other ways around Thurston, but there was just too much they didn't know as of yet. In the end, they decided to wait for Arthur, and see what he knew first, and then figure out what they needed to do from there.

As the hours passed by, however, Harry realized Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were probably not coming home for a while, and with good reason given the circumstances. He and Mel decided to head off for the evening, and Ron promised to meet them first thing in the morning, to tell them what he'd found out from his father.

Wishing everyone a good night, Harry and Mel disapparated, appearing seconds later in the living room of Harry's house, and finding someone there waiting for them.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked stiffly, seeing Draco Malfoy sitting back on one of the long couches in the den, obviously making himself at home. "Change your mind?"

"Not exactly," Draco said quietly, pushing himself up and straightening out his robes as he stood.

"Then we have nothing to say to each other," Harry said curtly, turning towards where he and Mel had left their bags earlier in their rush to get to the ministry.

"I'll pretend you didn't say that and tell you why I came anyway," Draco sneered.

Feeling all of his previous anger building up in him again, Harry spun around, only to feel it begin draining away as he suddenly realized Draco looked scared. He was trying to hide it, but the fear was showing in his eyes nonetheless.

"What is it?" he asked, curiously.

"Dumbledore's nephew…the muggle…" Draco began.

"Travis," Harry filled in for him.

"Right…well…he had a mark on him when he was found…on his wrist…and it was just like the one you described to us on Halloween…"

"The mark of the Shadow Walkers?" Mel asked, weakly, to which Draco nodded faintly in reply.

"And Simone?" Harry asked quietly, beginning once again, to feel ill, "Did she have one as well?"

"No…just Travis," Draco replied.

Harry cocked his head to the side, confused.

"That's strange…are you sure it was that mark? How did you find out?"

"Of course I'm sure," Draco said, somewhat indignantly. "I overheard two of the other ministers talking about it; they were the ones that dealt with…where the bodies were to be held for now."

"But you're sure there was nothing like that on Simone?" Mel asked.

"They only mentioned the muggle," Draco shrugged, before continuing off-handedly. "I just figured you should know…that's all."

"So, that's it? You came to say that…and that's all the help you'll give us?" Harry asked evenly. Malfoy just rolled his eyes, sighing in frustration.

"I should've known you'd be ungrateful…I'm risking a lot just by coming here…"

"Fine…thank you Draco," Harry stated flatly. "I appreciate you taking such…risks…"

"Look you don't understand," Draco began angrily. "If anyone knew I was here telling you this…let's just say it would mean-"

"A lot more than just your job," Harry interrupted curtly. "Yes you've told us, so again, thank you."

"Why do I even bother," Draco muttered darkly, leaning down to pick up the cloak he'd draped over the arm of the couch. He fastened it quickly around his neck, and without so much as a nod towards either Harry or Mel, he disapparated.

"I don't understand," Mel's voice broke through the stillness that immediately settled over the room. "If he's so against helping us…why even tell us about the mark?"

"Because he's afraid," Harry said without hesitation. "He's afraid for his own safety…and therefore for mine. If I'm hurt so is he, and my guess is that he wanted me to know about the mark because he thought the same as we did when Hermione found out it was on Caleb when he was killed…that the cult put it there. He did it more for himself than to help us…" he trailed off bitterly.

"Harry…what if it was from the cult though?" Mel asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"Mel, don't you remember what Marzia and Dumbledore said?" Harry asked. "The shadows don't leave their mark on their victims."

"I also remember them saying you don't find the cult's victims…for a very long time," Mel whispered. "Harry…I don't want that to happen to you…" she stammered, her throat tightening around the words as she took a step closer to him.

"It won't," Harry said firmly, opening his arms and pulling her close to him. "I promise it won't."

He held her for a long while, feeling the weight of everything happening pressing heavily in on him. They had to find a way to clear Dumbledore's name…and they had to do it soon.

"Why wouldn't Simone have the mark as well?" Mel's quiet voice broke through his thoughts, and he pulled away from her slightly to meet her questioning eyes.

"I'm not sure," Harry replied honestly. "If the mark on Travis is a fake, maybe whoever put it there just didn't have time to give it to Simone as well." He paused a brief moment, before adding, "Besides…Draco only overheard people talking about it…for all we know, Simone does have the mark…we can't be sure of anything just yet."

"I still don't understand the reason for the false marks," Mel said, shivering faintly. "If it's really the truth that the cult doesn't put it there…and Adrik and Lilith know that we know this…why bother?"

"I don't know," Harry said quietly. "Though it makes things much more complicated. If what happened last night was just Thurston's efforts at trying to get Dumbledore out of the way, then either someone else knows how to falsify the shadows' mark, or the Lestranges were helping him."

"Then Thurston could be a death eater," Mel said worriedly. "A death eater in control of the ministry…Harry, we have to tell someone…"

"He's not in complete control yet," Harry said grimly. "And besides, we have no proof to back it up…I don't want him knowing our suspicions until they're more than that."

Mel nodded in reluctant agreement, and sighed heavily, the strain the day was putting on her showing clearly now, and Harry gently led her over to the larger couch before lowering both of them into it.

"I'm scared, Harry," she whispered almost shamefully, laying her head tiredly against his shoulder. Harry kissed her forehead gently and held her tightly against him in a comforting embrace.

"So am I," He admitted quietly. "But we'll get through this," he said firmly. "We're going to clear Dumbledore's name, find out exactly who did this…and why."

A soft silence settled over the room and Harry sighed inwardly. His eyes slowly wandered over everything around him. The fireplace, crackling sharply, casting a pleasant glow over the den and bathing them in its warmth; the Christmas tree, shimmering as the flickering of the flames caught in the sparkling ornaments, twinkling softly. He thought about the last time he and Mel had been sitting this way, and how wonderful everything had been then; it seemed like ages ago. But, as Harry had become quite aware of in recent years, nothing was ever constant, and change could come at any minute.

He began to think again about what had happened at the ministry that day. Thurston's complete disregard to their suggestions of Dumbledore's innocence had been infuriating, but at the same time, he had known it would be this way. However, what bothered him more was Ewan…and how he had seemed familiar in some way, but Harry couldn't figure out how.

"Mel," he spoke up, half whispering. "Did you get a good look at that caretaker, Ewan…Norwood, I believe he said? I thought I recognized him from somewhere…his eyes looked familiar…" he trailed off, glancing down when she made no reply, only to find her sleeping soundly against his shoulder.

Smiling quietly, Harry simply held her there for a long moment, not wanting to stir her from her rest. He slowly slipped his legs up onto the couch under him, and gently lifted Mel's as well, before shifting their positions so they were both lying down on the plush cushions. It wasn't long before he too, was breathing deeply, and sleeping dreamlessly.

The next morning, Harry was woken by someone shaking him gently. When he peered up through his blurry vision, he could barely make out his godfather's face hovering above him.

"Harry, can you hear me? We need to talk…" Sirius was saying with what was unmistakably urgency in his tone.

"Yeah…I'm up…" Harry muttered, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. His glasses were on the arm of the chair, where he had put them the night before, and he reached up with one hand to grab them.

"So am I," Mel's voice mumbled softly from beside him, letting out a yawn, which she attempted to stifle, before sitting up awkwardly and rubbing at her eyes.

Harry pushed himself up beside her, when he suddenly realized who had woken him.

"Sirius!" he exclaimed, surprised. "You're home!"

"We came as soon as we heard," Sirius explained. "Marzia's at the ministry already…we have to get in to see Dumbledore…but they won't tell us where they're holding him right now, so she's working on that."

"We went to the ministry yesterday as well," Harry said quickly. "Thurston must be setting Dumbledore up…but I don't know how many other people are involved…"

"Did you actually speak to Thurston yesterday?" Sirius asked immediately.

"Not for very long," Harry replied grimly, before quickly explaining what had happened during the visit to the ministry on the previous day, leaving out Draco's reluctance to help them, but including the mark on Travis' wrist nonetheless.

"Ron said he'd contact us this morning…when he found out more from his dad about all of this," Harry finished.

"Do they have any explanation for why the mark would be there?" Sirius asked, clearly worried.

"I don't know," Harry replied honestly. "At least we know it wasn't the cult though," he reminded his godfather, "like Albus said…"

"I remember," Sirius nodded faintly. "They don't leave the mark on their victims…but then who is doing it?" He paused merely half a second, before rushing on without waiting for a reply. "Let's call over to the Weasley's now…maybe I can talk to Arthur…find out more…"

Harry and Mel remained where they were on the couch, while Sirius crossed to the large hearth, tossing a pinch of powder in from a jar on the ledge above it. Less than a minute later, Molly Weasley's head was floating in the flames. She and Sirius exchanged a brief conversation, before her tired, worried face faded from view.

"I'm going to the Burrow," Sirius announced.

"We'll come too," Harry said quickly, jumping up from his seat as Sirius reached for the floo powder.

Sirius hesitated a moment, but nodded.

"Alright," he said quickly. "I'll go first…"

"I'm just going to run upstairs for a moment," Mel cut in, gesturing towards her clothes. Harry realized by one glance at her, that they both must look a mess.

"We'll meet you there," Harry said with a nod, before turning and following Mel upstairs.

Less than half an hour later, Harry and Mel were on their way to the Burrow. They arrived to find Sirius and Arthur agreeing on a time to leave for the ministry, where they were going to meet up with Marzia.

"They're keeping him in Nabakza right now," Sirius told Harry. "Percy was nearby when Thurston had the guards escort Albus away, and that was where they were taking him."

"So he can have visitors then, right?" Harry asked, anxiously.

"Oh he's going to have visitors," Sirius said darkly. "Whether Thurston allows it or not."

"Don't go getting yourself into trouble now too Sirius Black," Molly's voice called out admonishingly from near the stove. The whole of the household was seated around the kitchen table at the moment, attempting to eat breakfast without anyone having much of an appetite.

"She's right," Arthur said gravely, seeing Sirius open his mouth to argue. "Marshall Thurston is quite on edge lately, don't give him a reason to send you to prison as well. He already tried it once with Harry…we don't need…"

"What?" Sirius exclaimed, his eyes flashing furiously as he turned to face his godson. "When did this happen?"

Harry groaned inwardly, having left that part out earlier to avoid just this reaction.

"It was yesterday, shortly after we managed to get upstairs," Harry explained quickly. "But he didn't arrest me, so let's…"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sirius cut in.

"Because it wasn't important," Harry said quickly. "The argument was over so quickly, I didn't even think about it after…I figured it would be better just to concentrate on clearing Albus' name."

"Exactly," said Arthur, cutting off any further replies from Sirius. "Let's get going then, shall we?" he asked, pushing away from the table and standing up.

"Should we come too?" Ron asked, looking up at his father.

"Not today, no," Arthur replied evenly. "Marshall is sure to be upset as it is that Sirius is going to be there…we don't need all of you there as well…besides, technically, you aren't allowed to be present while the ministry is conducting an investigation."

"What investigation?" Hermione asked, sardonically. "It seems like they all just decided he was guilty and that's the end of it."

"I know it seems that way," Arthur said sadly. "But trust me, it isn't. There is great support behind Albus right now…but we can't simply act in haste. We have to find as many people as we can that will side with us…as well as any evidence in our favor…then we will have something to defend him with at the trial."

"Then let's get going," Sirius said quickly, already beside Arthur, before turning to Harry. "I'll see you at home later."

Harry nodded faintly, watching as his godfather and Mr. Weasley moved to the hearth, and disappeared in the swirling green flames.

"I guess that's that," Mel said glumly, as the four left the kitchen and moved into the den, lowering themselves onto the couches. "What else can we do?"

"At the ministry, nothing," Harry shrugged. "Like Arthur said…if Thurston sees us there, it won't be a pleasant exchange, I'm sure."

"We just have to wait and hope they can figure this out then," Ron said quietly. "They know about the cloak we found at least…maybe they can manage to find out where Thurston put it…"

"Probably in his fireplace," Mel said darkly. "He was too anxious to get it away from us…same for that custodian…Ewan."

The others nodded, and Harry cleared his throat softly, before speaking.

"Did any of you think that Ewan looked…familiar, at all?" he asked, hesitantly. "I mean I think he did…his eyes, at least…"

"Yes!" Hermione cried suddenly. "His eyes…I thought that too!"

Harry glanced to Ron who had one eyebrow raised in a puzzled expression, and Mel who seemed to be concentrating on remembering his face.

"I…he…might've looked…familiar," Ron said after a pause. "I didn't get a very good look at him I suppose."

"Same for me," Mel nodded slowly. "I can't recall feeling that I recognized him."

"I didn't get a very good look at him either," Hermione spoke up. "But I know those eyes…" she trailed off, her brow furrowed in thought before she sighed heavily. "I just can't think of where from!" she said in frustration.

"Well I did get a good look," Harry said quietly. "And I can't think of why I recognize him either. He, himself doesn't look familiar."

"Well one thing I'm fairly certain of," Ron spoke up evenly, "Is that he definitely couldn't be a real employee at the ministry…and not just because Malfoy didn't notice him. I doubt he'd recognize any of the cleaning staff, or that he ever bothers to look at them."

"I agree," Hermione nodded. "It definitely seemed like he was making it up…plus when Mr. Weasley checked," she began explaining to Harry and Mel, "he found a hastily written file for Ewan, showing him as a new employee."

"Hastily written?" Harry asked. "If they were planning this…why wouldn't they take the time to make it look…real?"

"Maybe they forgot and had to do it at the last minute," Ron shrugged.

"Or maybe…something went wrong," Mel said quietly. "Maybe they weren't expecting to have to pretend Ewan was an employee."

"It would explain why the robes were stashed away so carelessly as well," Hermione nodded. "If they thought they'd need to do that…they probably would've had a better hiding place prepared."

"Right," Harry nodded. "Whoever hid the robes knocked the lock over the edge…he had to have been rushing or he would've been more careful."

"It had to have been Ewan," Ron said, resolutely. "He was the one trying to stop us from getting in…he knew the robes were there…and he ran to get Thurston the moment he could no longer stop us from getting into the broom cupboard."

"So now the question is, what does Ewan have to gain from this?" Hermione asked, thoughtfully. "Is there something in it for him…or is he just doing Thurston a favor…?"

For a few moments, the room was filled with only contemplative silence, until Harry cleared his throat softly.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see…" he shrugged faintly, "hopefully Sirius and Marzia can find out more than we already know…"

Two days passed, and Harry was growing restless as he and his friends could do nothing other than sit and wait. There was no research they could do to help, no books they could find any answers in…and they were not permitted anywhere near the sixth floor of the ministry building. So when Sirius came to Harry midway through the week, telling him they would all be allowed to visit Albus in Nabakza, he couldn't wait to be on his way.

Thurston had wanted to forbid any visitors from seeing Dumbledore, but Arthur had shot that down rather quickly, saying it was necessary to speak with him in order to hear his side of the story, and help him prepare for the trial. Marzia has also added that it would look very bad for Thurston if he allowed no one to attempt to help the head minister. Thurston quickly agreed, stating that Albus could have one personal visit only…and it would be monitored. Any other visits must be kept to those ministers wishing to speak to the head minister about the investigation.

The trial date was set for the end of April, much to Thurston's dislike, but he had little say in this matter. He had suggested to set the date for the end of January, knowing full well that the defense would have little time to collect any evidence by then. But the trial had to be held soon, nonetheless, as there could be no new head minister appointed until their was a decision on the guilt or innocence of the current one.

The visit with Dumbledore was scheduled for the day before Harry had to be back at Hogwarts, to be ready for classes to begin again. He, Mel, Ron, Hermione, Sirius and Marzia would be going to meet with the head minister at eleven that morning, and Harry was ready to go long before that time. Ron and Hermione arrived to meet them at ten-thirty, and shortly after, they took the floo network one at a time to get to Nabakza.

When Harry's feet touched the ground after traveling through the swirling of colors, a dank, musty odor immediately filled his lungs and he coughed into his fist roughly, before straightening up to take a look around.

"This…this is horrible," he whispered to no one in particular.

They were only in the visitors' entryway, but everything looked rotted and decayed. The walls were a putrid, grainy brownish-orange, and it looked as though they hadn't always been that way. The large discolored stains carried over onto the rather unsteady floor. The stones below their feet were hardly intact, and walking on them reminded Harry of the feeling of walking on gravel, only worse. The jagged rocks pushed into the soles of their shoes, and it was far from comfortable to stand in one place for very long. The only opening in the room that Harry could see, appeared to be a hallway a short distance to their right, their were no windows or doors.

"It is," Marzia spoke up from behind him, agreeing with his comment. "But still, it's better than Azkaban."

Harry shuddered, not even wanting to think about it, when a raspy voice spoke up from just a few feet away.

"Who are you here for?" asked a ghastly pale man with overly large green eyes that didn't blink. He wore long robes that seemed as though they might once have been white, but were now stained in rusty blotches.

"Albus Dumbledore," Marzia spoke up at once, stepping to the front of the group.

The unhealthily thin man nodded faintly, and turned slightly to his right, gesturing someone that Harry could not see forward. Half a second later, what looked like a ghost floated into view. But it was not a ghost; the being before them was decidedly gray in coloring rather than the silver color associated with regular ghosts. Its arms hung low at its sides, and it looked ready to collapse. Simply remaining upright appeared to be using up a good amount of the being's effort. But aside from that, it seemed quite possible that this thing was, at one time, human.

"What is it?" Mel whispered faintly.

"A key," Marzia replied quietly, paying little attention to the confused expressions her answer drew, and waited while the pale man gave it instructions.

"Take them to the visitor hall, table seven," the thin man rasped to the key. It nodded slowly, before turning and beginning to float away. "Mr. Dumbledore will be there when you arrive," the man continued, looking back towards the group as he spoke, then waited as they began to follow the key, before turning and exiting through a door on the opposite side of the room.

"That wasn't there before," Hermione mused, glancing at the door the man had gone through, only to see it vanish seconds later.

"He's the only one who can go through it," Marzia explained. "It only appears for him."

"Who is he?" Harry asked. They were walking just behind the slow moving key down a long, dimly lit hall, which smelled of rust and mildew. The floor was still unsteady beneath their feet, only becoming worse as they moved along.

"The warden."

"What about when he's not here?" Ron asked. "Someone else must be able to get through…"

"He's always here," Marzia replied. "He's the only one that can get into the prison without a key."

"How does the key work?" Hermione asked, eyeing the floating grey figure moving on just barely ahead of them.

"You'll see," Marzia replied, gesturing in front of them. The others glanced up to see they were nearing a set of bars, which completely blocked off the hallway they were in.

The key stopped in front of the bars and raised its right hand above its head, touching it to the ceiling. For a moment, the hard stone rippled outwards from the being's touch, and a second later, the bars were gone.

"One at a time," the key said in a voice that was hard and emotionless. Sirius and Marzia glanced at each other briefly.

"I'll go first," he said quickly. "To make sure nothing unexpected is on the other side…"

"And I'll wait until everyone's through," she nodded. Harry could only stare at the two, confused. From where he stood, he could see the continuation of the hallway. It seemed to stretch on for ages…but they could see what was in front of them just fine. However, when Sirius stepped forward and past where the bars had been only seconds ago, he vanished.

"Where…?" Harry began, looking uncertainly from the space his godfather had just been standing, to Marzia.

"It's alright," she replied hastily. "But let's not waste time…keep going."

Harry nodded, not sure exactly what was happening but fully trusting Sirius and Marzia. He began to move forward, over the jagged stones beneath his feet, nearly losing his balance as he came close to the bars, but regained it a second later, and started to step through. Ron, however, was not quite as agile in his attempt, stepping on the sharp end of a particularly large stone and pitching forward. Harry felt his friend's hand graze his back, and tried to turn to help him, but it was too late. The momentum had already begun to carry him forward and he hit the ground, hard, cracking his elbows on the stone floor.

In the span of half a second, Harry realized two things. One, the room he could now see was considerably cleaner and brighter than the hallway he had just been in. And two, Ron hadn't fallen on top of him. This was all he had time to think, however, before a sharp pain seared through his left ankle, and Harry inhaled sharply, sitting up at once and reaching down to get whatever it was off of him.

The clean, smooth room swam partially out of view, and the hallway reappeared, but it was as if he were seeing it from underwater, the two places overlapping. Harry realized with dawning horror that nothing was on top of his ankle…the pressure he was feeling was coming from the bars that weren't supposed to be there. Somehow they had reappeared, and his ankle was caught between two of them, which were slowly pushing in, unrelenting to the obstacle in their path.

He gritted his teeth against the pain, struggling in vain to free himself. Someone knelt at his side, but he couldn't tell who it was, and he was positive he was going to lose his foot any second, when suddenly everything stopped. The bars vanished, as did the hallway, and Sirius was pulling him away from the entrance.

"What was that?" Harry breathed, trying to calm himself from the unexpected shock of what had happened. Sirius opened his mouth to answer, when Ron appeared behind him, and immediately crossed to where Harry was sitting, on the floor, dropping to his knees beside his friend.

"I'm sorry…I'm really sorry…are you okay?" he asked, anxiously.

"You're sorry?" Harry repeated, confused. "For what?"

Hermione came through then, followed seconds later by Mel, and then Marzia, who immediately knelt down to check Harry's ankle, while the others asked him if he was alright.

"I'm fine," he replied, still feeling a little shaky, and looking to Marzia for an explanation.

"How is he?" Sirius asked, shifting his position so he could see the wound better.

"Not broken," Marzia replied, sounding quite relieved as she looked up. She pulled out her wand, touching it to Harry's ankle, and he immediately felt an ice cold chill encompass his lower leg. "Sorry," Marzia muttered as Sirius helped his godson to his feet. "But if you don't want it to swell…"

"No, it's alright," Harry nodded quickly. "But…what exactly happened back there?"

"When Ron tripped, he knocked you forward, but as only one person can get through the gates at a time, it was quickly shut off to him after you went through," Marzia began. "He caught hold of the key, however, and that's why the bars started to close over your ankle."

"Caught hold of the key?" Harry repeated. "You mean you can actually touch that thing?"

Marzia nodded and Ron shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry," he said again.

"So why did touching the key make the bars start to close?" Mel asked.

"It's a security measure," Marzia explained. "So that if one of the prisoners ever tried to force a key to lead him out, they would be unable to escape."

"That's a bit…harsh," Hermione said, cringing at the thought.

"But effective," Marzia replied. "And if a prisoner ever did manage to get through the bars without the use of a key, they would be trapped in the corridor forever, as it is unending."

"Wouldn't someone try to find them though?" Harry asked. "I mean…they wouldn't just let that person…" he trailed off, seeing Marzia shake her head gravely.

"They don't take kindly to any attempts at escaping," she said quietly, turning her head as another being which resembled a ghost floated into the empty room. This one was quite round and looked almost plum colored. It crossed the short distance to where the small group stood and glanced over them once with its dull, flat expression.

Ron, who was standing closest to the chubby figure turned a questioning gaze towards Marzia.

"What is…?" he began, but stopped abruptly as the plump being surged forward. It moved much quicker than Harry thought it would ever have been able to, passing directly through everyone in the small group one after the other, before finishing with Sirius and floating off through the wall it had come through.

Harry looked slowly down, expecting to find himself covered in whatever the being had been made out of, but there was nothing. His clothes were just as they were a moment before.

"I feel like I've been dipped in honey," Ron said in a strained voice, wiping absently at his arms, which were clean.

"That was disgusting," Mel agreed, shuddering involuntarily.

"Sorry," Marzia said. "I should've warned you."

"Another security check?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, to make sure we're not smuggling anything in to the prisoners."

"But they let us keep our wands?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

"They check again before we leave to make sure we still have everything that we brought in with us," Marzia replied. "But yes, wands are allowed…like I said before, if you don't have a key…a wand isn't going to get you very far anyway."

"This way," a voice from behind them spoke up, and Harry glanced to see the key waiting by the bars they had just come through. The group crossed back towards the gate again, and Harry could see the hallway on the other side.

"One at a time," the key said once the bars had vanished, in the same dull tone it had taken earlier.

Harry decided to keep his questions to himself, not seeing how they would get anywhere going back the way they had come, but was not entirely surprised to find yet another new room once he had crossed through this time.

After the last person reappeared, the key followed them in and addressed them curtly.

"You have one hour," he said while raising a limp arm and pointing across the room. Harry looked, seeing the room they were in had many candles lining the stone walls, and several thick wooden tables all around. Some were occupied by quietly speaking couples, some were not, but the one the key was pointing at had just one person sitting at it.

Harry felt a mixture of emotions as his eyes fell upon the figure of Albus Dumbledore, sitting alone at his table. There were actual security guards in this room; they were standing about and listening in on all of the conversations taking place. Four of them were hovering around Dumbledore, watching him carefully as if he were some dangerous prisoner who might attempt an escape at any second. But one look at the older wizard would make the very idea seem ludicrous.

Albus looked overtired; there were dark circles under his eyes and his long white hair looked rough and dry. The almost regal blue robes he could usually be found wearing were gone, and in their place were dingy, tattered grey ones. There were thin, worn out shoes on his feet, which Harry could see at once would make it terribly painful to walk through the hallway they had been in a few moments earlier. What made it worse, however, were thick gold manacles, which were clamped securely over the old wizard's ankles, holding him to the chair. The other prisoners' didn't have them from what Harry could see, and they were similar to the chains that had been used during the trials against suspected death eaters, which he had seen in the Pensieve all those years ago.

Albus smiled wanly, lowering the copy of the Daily Prophet he'd been looking through as his visitors neared the table, and Harry saw something else in the head minister's eyes…something he was trying to hide. Sadness.

"Good morning," Albus nodded, trying to sound pleasant, but unable to fully hide the strain in his voice. This was the worst Harry had ever seen Dumbledore look, and he had to use everything within him to not show the horror and sadness he felt, for what was happening to the former headmaster. He had to believe they would get through this, and Dumbledore's name would be cleared.

"Albus, how are you?" Sirius asked concernedly, looking over the head minister's condition with obvious disgust as the small group took seats around the table. "We'll speak with the ministry immediately, you shouldn't be treated like…"

"Sirius, do not worry yourself over it," Dumbledore said, shaking his head faintly. "I am fine for now, and there are much bigger matters that must be addressed."

"We're going to get you out of here," Marzia said, confidently. "But we need to know what happened in your office that night. Thurston's given us his own version of it…"

"Has he?" Dumbledore asked wryly. "What is it that he's told you?"

"That he believes you murdered Travis…and then Simone for catching you do it…he never gave any reason as to why he thought you would do this though…"

"Because there isn't one," Sirius commented darkly. "Though I would bet my life he's the one who's set you up."

"We need you to tell us what actually happened that night, Albus," Marzia said gently. "I'm sure it's probably the last thing you want to think about…but it's the only way we can start figuring this out."

"I understand," Albus nodded faintly. "And I will tell you everything I told the ministers that night…"

Harry watched as Dumbledore's eyes flickered down over the paper he had been reading. It was the issue that contained the original story of his arrest. He had it opened to a page in the middle, showing a picture of his office the morning after. The bodies had been taken away by this point, but everything else had been left as it was. There were items from the desk splayed over the floor as if a struggle had taken place, and ministers mulling about examining everything in sight, looking for evidence.

Albus passed a light hand over the picture, an intent look in his eyes, before he raised his gaze to face the others once more.

"Everything was going nicely, the night of the New Year's celebration," he began quietly. "I asked Travis to remain in the office every so often, while I went downstairs, to make sure there were no problems. Each time I would return to find him by the window, waiting patiently for the light show to begin. Then, just before midnight, I was on my way back so I could watch the fireworks with my nephew, but as I came into the hallway, I noticed the door had been cracked open. As I started towards it, a blue light illuminated the doorway to the office, and I rushed forward to see what had happened…"

He trailed off, and Harry knew the look in his eyes all too well. He knew there were many times when he must've had that very same glazed stare. Dumbledore was seeing what had happened again, replaying the scene in his mind, not for the first or last time.

"Travis was on the floor, in front of the desk," Albus spoke again at last, his voice stiff and strained. "I went to him immediately, but there was nothing I could do…"

"You don't have to tell us any more about that," Marzia said gently, taking one of the head minister's hands and squeezing it reassuringly. Harry nodded as she spoke, hating to see Dumbledore look so helpless…so vulnerable. It scared him, and he wanted more than anything to make things right again…

"Several pieces which I kept on my desk had been knocked to the floor," Dumbledore continued, his voice steady once more. "I had glanced around when I entered, but saw no one else in the room. As I stood to take a better look around, I believed I heard a noise near the door, but when I stopped to listen, the fireworks began. I neither sensed nor heard anyone else in the office with me after that, but there must have been someone there. A few seconds later, I was hit with a curse, and blacked out."

"So…you never saw Simone at any point during this?" Sirius asked, curiously.

"No," Dumbledore replied, shaking his head faintly. "It was not until later, after I was woken that I was told she was dead as well."

"Maybe it was her," Ron spoke up quietly. "What do we know about her, really?"

"We know she was killed as well," Harry said evenly.

"Right but what if someone set her up too?" Ron persisted. "Say Simone was being paid to do this…and in order to make sure she never told, the person who hired her killed her."

"I do not believe Simone had any previous knowledge of what happened that night," Dumbledore began quietly. "I've known her a good many years, and find it highly unlikely she would involve herself in this."

"Even still, better to not just overlook things," Sirius said gently.

"I agree," Harry said, "But I don't think Simone had anything to do with this. Especially after we found the-" he stopped abruptly as the head minister reached out from just beside him, and grasped on of his hands. Harry looked at him questioningly, but Dumbledore made no reply, gesturing instead by glancing towards the nearest security guard and back.

"I've told you all that I remember," Albus spoke up evenly, sitting up a bit straighter in his chair and clearing his throat. "I hope it helps."

"Your time is up old man," one of the guards said then, stepping up behind Dumbledore's chair.

"No it isn't!" Sirius exclaimed angrily, jumping up from his seat. Marzia was up in an instant as well, but more so to make sure her husband didn't do anything rash. "It's barely been half an hour yet!" he continued, his eyes flashing.

"Then maybe your watch is broken, because mine says your time is up," the guard replied challengingly, smirking haughtily at Sirius as if daring him to make a move.

"It is alright, Sirius," Dumbledore said then, gathering up his paper as two of the guards moved to unlock the shackles from the chair. Everyone stood while Dumbledore was helped out of his seat, and the guards began to lead him away. As he passed Harry, he reached out and took one of the younger wizard's arms, thrusting the paper into his hand.

"Please, take that away. I don't need it any more," Dumbledore said quietly, meeting Harry's gaze for half a second.

"What's this about?" the lead guard spoke up again, looking suspiciously at the paper in Harry's hand. "Let me see that."

Harry obliged, holding up the paper to show the guard what it was.

"We can just throw that out here," the guard said uncertainly, reaching out to take it.

"I'd rather keep it, if you don't mind," Harry said quickly, fighting the urge to take a step back, feeling something about the paper was important, but having no idea what it could be. "I lost my own copy from that day, and would like to look this one over."

The guard seemed as if he were going to refuse the request, and grabbed the paper anyway, turning it over in his hands and examining the pages while the others stood tensely and waited. Finally, however, he could find nothing that stood out about the article, and tossed it back to Harry, before turning to the other guards.

"Alright then, take him back to his cell," he said impatiently, darting suspicious glances at the group as he followed the guards out. Harry let out the breath he'd been holding and glanced at the copy of the Daily Prophet in his hands. He had no idea if it contained anything that would be of use to them, but could hardly wait to get back home to find out.

"This is impossible," Ron said, throwing up his hands in exasperation and pushing his chair away from the table. "We've been at this for over three hours…there's nothing in here!"

"There has to be," Harry stated, determinedly, "Albus wouldn't have given us this paper just to toss it in the trash for him." But his eyes were starting to ache, and he could feel a dull throbbing in his temples. The small group had returned to his house immediately after their short visit with Dumbledore to examine the paper he'd given them. But as of yet, they could find no clues or hints…nothing that would help them prove the head minister's innocence.

"Well we've checked all the articles…all the pictures," Hermione said, sitting back and rubbing tiredly at her eyes. "Hopefully Marzia and Sirius get back soon, so we'll have something to compare it with."

Harry nodded, leaning back in his seat for a moment and stretching slowly, before pulling himself closer to the table and opening to the picture Dumbledore had been looking at in the prison.

This had to be where it was…whatever it was. Harry glanced over the picture, ignoring the ministry men moving about and wishing something would just catch his eye. He looked at the bookshelves, the paintings, the desk… The items on the floor were the ones he always remembered seeing in the headmaster's office, the small antique clock, the crystal ball, the paperweight. There were things out of place from whatever struggle had occurred, but there was something about this picture…

Sighing in frustration, Harry sat back once more, impatiently flicking the paper a few feet away from him.

"Don't," Mel said softly, taking one of his hands in hers and squeezing it gently. "We're all just tired, and we've been looking at this paper for too long…"

"But we don't have time for a break," Harry replied, smiling back gratefully, nonetheless.

"Couldn't he have handed us just one page of the paper?" Ron asked, pulling the article towards him from across the table and beginning to flip through it for the umpteenth time. "The one we're supposed to be concentrating on, maybe?"

"The guards were suspicious enough as it was," Hermione said, moving her chair closer so she could look on with him. "If he'd done a specific page they never would have let us out with it."

"I think he told us what page we're supposed to be looking at," Harry insisted. "It has to be that picture…"

"We've looked at it already," Ron replied tiredly, continuing to flip the pages. "A hundred times at least…there's nothing there…" he trailed off as the fireplace in the next room lit suddenly with green flames. A second later, Sirius and Marzia emerged into the den, and headed to the kitchen to join the others.

"You would not believe how hard it was to find a copy of this," Marzia spoke up testily as she set her copy of the Daily Prophet down on the table and lowered herself into a seat.

"Every shop had sold out pretty quickly after the issue was released," Sirius said, looking just as agitated as he sat down beside his wife. "When we finally found one, the shop keeper said it was a very valuable issue, and only gave it to us after we paid him ten sickles…" he trailed off, shaking his head irately at the thought.

"That's insane," Ron said, looking aghast over the very idea.

"All I can say is this better help us," Sirius said, watching as Hermione opened the second copy of the paper to the picture of the office. Everyone remained silent, as both she and Ron examined the identical pictures for several long minutes, but soon enough, Ron let out a defeated sigh and sat back.

"There's no difference…not one," he said darkly. Hermione finally looked up as well, shaking her head sadly.

"Can I see them?" Harry asked quickly, reaching across the table as Ron slid both papers towards him. He set them up side by side, folding the rest of the paper underneath so he could get the pictures as close to one another as possible. Then, he let his eyes wander over everything slowly, looking back and forth from one to the other, searching for even the smallest detail. As his gaze flickered over the farthest painting to the right, however, Harry took a moment to examine it. At first, he couldn't see a difference between the two; only half the painting was visible in either picture, which seemed to be a person simply standing by a chair.

"Did you find something?" Sirius asked anxiously, to which Harry shook his head, uncertainly.

"I don't know," he replied absently, trying not to break his concentration as he examined the painting further. The person's head was absent from the picture as that part had been cut off when the photograph was snapped, and while the bottom half of the paintings seemed to match exactly, it was the upper half which Harry kept lingering over, his eyes straining, and at long last, focusing on the one difference.

"There!" he said, almost laughing with relief over finally finding something. "The paintings…look. In the regular issue you see the top of the painting is cut off right around the chest area…"

"And in the one Albus gave us as well," Sirius said, gesturing with his head towards the other article.

"It seems that way…but look," Harry said pointing. "See that? You can see the person in this picture has on a broche or pin or something…it almost blends in…but you can see the outline of it…you can see more of the painting!"

"Only your eyes could find something like that," Ron commented dryly, his own eyes finally focusing in on the spot Harry was talking about.

"So then, Dumbledore did something to make the painting in the newspaper he gave us hang a bit lower than the one in the regular newspaper," Hermione said slowly. "But why?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Let's just go ask the painting," Ron said after a moment. "I can tell my dad what's happened and…"

"No, that won't work," Marzia cut in gently, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Harry inquired, arching one eyebrow, questioningly.

"All of the paintings in that office are frozen…they can't move or speak," Marzia explained.

"Since when?" Ron asked angrily, his eyes flashing. "Did Thurston have this done so we wouldn't be able to ask them?"

"I'm not sure," Marzia replied. "The paintings, as far as we know, were frozen before Thurston arrived. Other ministers started showing up first after Ewan notified them of what he'd seen…all the people we spoke to say the paintings were like that when they arrived."

"I bet Ewan did it," Ron said darkly. "He must be the one who killed Travis and Simone…then framed Dumbledore and enchanted the paintings so there'd be no witnesses. Thurston was probably the one to put him up to it too…"

"Yes well that's quite a large accusation to pin on someone," Marzia said evenly. "And we're going to need much more than just suspicion to convince a jury. We have to be positive ourselves…which means evidence."

"Which means," Sirius jumped in, looking at Marzia "that you and I should speak with Arthur again…he has full access to Albus' office. We can let him know about this painting and see what we can find."

"I'll try and reach him now," Marzia nodded in agreement, already out of her seat and heading for the next room.

"What about us?" Harry asked, knowing they wouldn't be granted access to the head minister's office but wanting to help just the same.

"I think the best thing for the four of you would be to keep out of Thurston's way…don't draw any attention to yourself," Sirius replied, looking pointedly at Harry. "If he's the one behind this, and I believe he is, who knows what other plans he might have. Don't give him any opportunities."

"There must be something we can do though," Harry insisted.

"You'll have your hands full enough when classes start again," Sirius replied, shaking his head. "Besides I don't want you out in the open now, not when the media are out in droves. The cult may be having trouble finding you while you're in the wizarding world, but your picture in a newspaper would certainly be narrowing things down for them…" he trailed off, pushing back in his seat and heading into the den after Marzia.

"He's right Harry," Mel nodded softly before Harry could utter a word in argument. "Especially now that Dumbledore's in prison…since he was the one who seemed to know the most about the shadows…and we can't just go ask him about them anymore…"

"I say find Snape the moment you get back and tell him you're using the crystals whether he likes it or not," Ron spoke up then, quiet stubbornness in his tone. "He can't keep ignoring this…"

"I've thought about that," Harry said, honestly. "I've been thinking about it since we found out Albus was accused of murder…I don't even know what I'd do yet to help him, but I'm sure there must be something they crystals could do…"

"So you're going to speak with him then?" Hermione asked.

"I'll try," Harry shrugged, remembering Snape's reaction the last time he'd tried to bring up the subject. "But I'm not going to break my word…if Snape doesn't want me to use the stones then he must have a reason. I don't have any other choice but to trust him on this…"

"We'll be back soon guys, we're going to meet Arthur at the ministry building now," Sirius said, coming back into the kitchen, Marzia just behind him.

"It's best we look into this as soon as possible," Marzia said. "Before Thurston has any idea what we're up to."

"Yeah so he can't tamper with any evidence," Ron spoke up dryly.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Harry asked, standing up from his seat.

"Not this time," Sirius replied, shaking his head apologetically. "Just wait for us here, we'll be back soon."

Harry nodded faintly, watching as his godfather and his godfather's wife left the room once more, before lowering himself back down into his chair.

For a few moments, a soft silence settled over the four friends, broken once by the sound of Sirius and Marzia using the floo network to meet with Arthur, and then again a brief time later, by Hermione clearing her throat gently.

"Okay, there's one thing that's been bothering me about what Dumbledore told us earlier," she began quietly.

"One thing?" Ron cut in, sardonically, but he shut up at once after a brief warning look from Hermione, as she continued on.

"He told us that when he was on his way back to his office the last time, he saw a blue light flash through the small crack in the doorframe."

"And?" Ron asked, not making the connection.

"Well, if I were to guess," Hermione began, "I would say that blue light came from whoever really killed Travis…but the only curse I know of that's used to kill someone produces a green glow…not a blue one."

"You're right," Harry said absently, wondering why he hadn't thought of that before.

"Then whoever killed Travis didn't use the killing curse," Mel spoke up.

"Draco told us Dumbledore's wand was tested, remember?" Ron said suddenly. "The last spell that had been cast from it was the killing curse…"

"Which means if they can confirm Travis was killed by something other than that, it will prove Dumbledore is innocent," Harry said, beginning to smile.

"Not necessarily," Hermione said curtly. "According to Thurston's story, Simone died after Travis, and I believe it was the killing curse that was used on her."

"So they were killed by different means," Mel said solemnly. "We don't know what was used against Travis…but he's the one who ended up with the mark…" she trailed off, glancing around at the others worriedly.

"Yeah but what does that mean to us?" Ron asked, sounding discouraged. "We know it wasn't the Shadow Walkers…so why only give the mark to Travis?"

"Whoever did this probably didn't expect Simone to show up," Hermione replied quickly. "They weren't prepared."

"That still doesn't explain why they would put the cult's mark on Travis in the first place," Harry said darkly.

To this no one had any reply, and a tense silence settled over the four friends until it was once again broken by Hermione.

"Let's just hope whatever Sirius and Marzia find out can at least give us another clue…" she said quietly. "Because right now, we could really use some of those."

"There was a burn mark under the painting," Sirius said, several hours later when he and Marzia had returned. It was late in the evening now, and Ron and Hermione had been about to leave, when they arrived. "Arthur and I moved it back to where it seemed to be in the picture in the regular issue of the Daily Prophet, and just beside it was a dark spot, burned into the wall."

"Do you know what it was from?" Hermione asked.

"A curse, most likely," Marzia answered. "It'll take some time before we know exactly which one. Arthur is doing all he can to get it tested straight away…we don't want anyone tampering with it."

"Well, even if we do figure out which one it is…how will that help us?" Ron asked. "I mean, we know there was fighting going on in the office…it wouldn't exactly be breaking news to find out curses were used…someone just missed is probably all that happened. It hit the wall and left a mark."

"Is there any way to know whose wand the curse came from?" Hermione asked before anyone could reply to Ron's question.

"There is a way, but it's not always accurate," Marzia said, tilting her head slightly as she spoke. "And we don't know how it will help us, Ron, not yet…when we figure out which curse left the mark, then we can go from there."

"It must mean something," Harry said quietly. "Why else would Thurston have it covered?"

"If it was even Thurston who covered it," Hermione added quickly.

"Oh you know it had to be," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"We don't know anything yet," Marzia spoke up above them.

"I have a question," Mel said suddenly, waiting as the others turned to look at her. "Can you tell me, how exactly Thurston thinks Dumbledore is guilty here? What is his story? He never fully told us…"

"Thurston thinks Dumbledore killed Travis with his wand," Sirius replied evenly, "He says Simone must have come in and seen what happened, and Dumbledore killed her as well. She tried to defend herself by stunning Albus, and it worked, but his curse had already been cast, so they were hit at the same moment. The custodian happened to be passing by in the hall, and saw the whole thing through the open door."

"So then, if his theory were true, there would be no mark on the wall," Mel said slowly. "Everyone hit who they were aiming for."

"Yes, the mark would put a dent in his story," Sirius nodded, smirking slightly.

"I don't know," Hermione said uncertainly. "Can we prove the mark appeared that night? Thurston will probably try to say it was already there…"

"I thought about that," Marzia nodded. "Like I said, let's just see what spell caused it in the first place, and hopefully whose wand it came from…"

By the next morning, there was still no word from Arthur, but Harry realized it would take time. However, today was the day before classes began again, and he had to return to Hogwarts. Mel had gotten ready early that morning and left for her house, making Harry promise he'd contact her with anything he found out, and shortly after getting Sirius to promise him the same, Harry had left as well.

He made his way back to his quarters and unpacked slowly, thinking how strange it felt to be there now. Standing there in the school, it almost felt as if nothing had changed, classes would resume, everything would continue on as it had been. Only things had changed, Dumbledore was in prison for crimes he had not committed, and Harry wondered how things truly would go on with that over everyone's heads.

As he hung the last set of robes in the closet, Harry turned, looking over the room slowly. He glanced at the trunk containing the crystals, wondering why he'd even bothered to bring them this time. What good would they do if he couldn't use them? But he knew why he'd taken them…if there was any chance the recent events had changed Snape's mind about the lessons, he wanted to be ready.

After a few moments, Harry decided to pay McGonagall's office a visit. He hadn't seen the headmistress since the wedding, but knew that Sirius and Marzia had seen and spoken to her at the ministry on several occasions. She was just as angry as they were about what was happening to Albus, and just as determined to see the truth told.

He walked almost absently through the halls he knew so well, lost in his thoughts. When he came at last to the statue of the gargoyle, he gave the password and took the stairs up, only to come to a sudden stop as he reached the upper door.

McGonagall was speaking with someone, and Harry turned to leave, not wanting to disturb her, but when he heard the voice of the other person, he hesitated. Troy Ryan was in the office with Minerva, and Harry suddenly remembered what had happened just before the holidays. In all the confusion and stress of the last week, he had completely forgotten Troy's lie about entering the Gryffindor tower. The transfiguration professor had left quite early the next morning as well, before Harry could confront him with what he had learned from the portrait of the fat lady. He was considering waiting for Troy now, to ask him before he had the chance to get by, when something he heard the redhead say wiped the thought from his head, and he leant slightly closer to listen.

"Pardon me?" McGonagall's voice asked, sounding stern and strained.

"I said I don't think I can stay in this position much longer, Minerva," came Troy's apologetic reply. "There's something I have to take care of…I didn't expect it to turn out like this…"

"Troy you cannot leave now," McGonagall replied determinedly. "I have no one ready or available to take your place…and we can't go without a transfiguration professor. With everything happening right now I have no time to look for one either. I need you to stay."

"Minerva you don't understand," Troy began, his voice much softer than any tone Harry had ever heard him use. "I need to go, it's very important…"

"Tell me why then," McGonagall snapped impatiently. "If you truly have a good reason I'll see what can be done."

"It's just something I need to do," Troy replied quietly.

"I'll need a bit more than that I'm afraid, Mr. Ryan," McGonagall replied, sardonically.

For a long moment, no one spoke, and Harry wished he could see what was going on inside, when finally Troy spoke up, his tone a mix of regret and frustration.

"I can't tell you any more than that, Minerva."

"Then I'm afraid I cannot accept your resignation," McGonagall replied curtly. "I need a much better reason."

"You're making a mistake," Troy said, no threat in his voice whatsoever, it was simply a statement.

"Until you can tell me why, then so be it," McGonagall replied stiffly. "Now you'd best be on your way, I'm sure you'll need to prepare for class tomorrow."

Harry snapped to attention, realizing if the door opened now they would know he'd been eavesdropping. He slipped back down the stairs as silently as possible, stepping into the corridor beyond. Moving quickly, he turned the nearest corner and waited. A moment later, the gargoyle slid aside again, and Troy stepped into the hall, looking angry and upset. Harry briefly considered his earlier thought of confronting the transfiguration professor about his lie, but decided against it for the moment.

When the redhead was out of sight, Harry once again entered the stairwell, and made his way up to the headmistress' office.

Harry knocked softly on the door and slowly pushed it open as McGonagall's tired voice bade him entrance. As he stepped inside, he was glad to see she didn't look as worn out as she sounded; it was only her eyes that gave away all the stress she was under, but he fully understood why.

"Sorry to bother you Minerva," he began quickly.

"Quite alright Mr. Potter," McGonagall nodded faintly as she took a seat behind her desk and gestured for him to sit as well.

For a few moments, they discussed the accusations against Dumbledore, and what they had learned. Both of them had been getting information from Arthur, Sirius and Marzia, so there was little difference in what each of them knew.

"I heard from Marzia just this morning regarding the painting and the mark," Minerva said solemnly. "I expect to hear from her again as soon as more is known."

"I do too," Harry nodded faintly, feeling as if he were not doing nearly enough to help.

"Our job now, is to make sure the students are taken care of," Minerva said, seeing the look in Harry's eyes. "We have to continue with lessons, and be there if they need to talk with someone. The younger ones may or may not be affected by this in the way the older students will be. Some of them may not understand, depending on what the parents have allowed their children to know…and we will have to be mindful of that."

"I understand," Harry replied quietly, not actually having thought of that until this moment. What would he say if any of the younger students asked him about this?

"Now, I really must get back to my work, I have much to do before tomorrow…" McGonagall began.

"Yes, of course," Harry said standing up from his chair. He began to turn towards the door, but hesitated momentarily. He knew he couldn't ask about what he'd overheard of her discussion with Troy, but he had to mention the transfiguration professor's lie. He was never one to snitch, but this concerned the students, as Troy had been in the Gryffindor Tower.

"There's just one more thing I needed to talk with you about," Harry said, facing the headmistress once more. "It's about Troy…"

"Are you referring to his visit to the Gryffindor Tower just before the holidays?" McGonagall asked, her tone clearing showing that she knew.

"Yes," Harry replied, taken aback. "How did you…?"

"I spoke with him only a short while ago, and he explained what happened."

"He told you he was in the tower?" Harry asked, stiffly. "Why would he lie about it to me then? Why did he attack me?"

"He said that as well," Minerva nodded gravely. "From what he told me, he didn't know who you were at first, but when you began to follow him he only did what he did to defend himself. I have already spoken with him about it, and informed him I will not stand for hastily taken action like this…it's simply too dangerous."

"Did he say why he was in the tower?" Harry asked, feeling a dull anger in his gut but not allowing it to show. He wasn't upset with McGonagall, after all…but Troy had been evasive and threatening that night, and now here had been telling it all to the headmistress, most likely so he would seem less guilty.

"He said he needed to speak with one of the students," Minerva replied. "I told him in the future he would need to find more appropriate times to do so."

"And…that's it?" Harry asked. "You didn't ask him what he needed to talk to the student about? Or which student it was?"

"No, I did not," Minerva replied curtly. "I trust all of the professors here, Mr. Potter…and if Troy says he needed to speak with a student, I believe him. If there is ever a time when he needs my advice on a matter, I trust that he'll come to me and ask for it."

Harry nodded slowly, knowing McGonagall was only doing for Troy what she would for any other teacher at the school; knowing she'd known him for much longer than he, himself had…and hoping Troy was the person she believed him to be, despite the nagging doubt eating at him inside.

"You're right, I didn't mean to sound…accusing…" Harry began.

"I wouldn't blame you for feeling that way," Minerva said quickly. "I'm not blind, Harry. I see how Troy acts towards you, and as head of Gryffindor I understand your want to know what happens in that tower, and with your students. I would expect nothing less. Now Troy is new to the school, and while I know this is your first year as an instructor as well, you have the advantage of knowing more about how things are done here. I've already spoken to him, and he understands that his hasty reaction was wrong. I don't believe it will happen again."

"I'm sure you're right," Harry nodded, not quite sure of this at all, but feeling it would be unwise to push the matter any further.

He made his way back down the stairs, and began walking slowly through the corridors, wondering what exactly Troy was up to…and if it was in some way connected with Dumbledore. He felt it must be, it was too much of a coincidence that whatever Troy needed to leave for was happening right now…but he couldn't think of what it could be. If the transfiguration professor were in on it somehow…if he were part of the plan to frame Albus, it would only draw attention to him if he suddenly left, wouldn't it? But how else could he be involved?

These thoughts circled Harry's mind all the way back to his office, and he decided to write his friends at once, to let them know what was going on. As he stepped through the door however, he came to a sudden halt. The room was dark and cold, no fire was going and the window had been left open, letting the icy winter air circulate through the office, but Harry didn't care about any of that. His eyes were focused on the silvery-white figure hovering near his desk. The figure of the Bloody Baron.

Harry watched, unmoving, as the Baron ever so slowly turned to face him. For a moment, the two stared at each other, and Harry felt a strange sense of emptiness as he looked into the cold, dead eyes that belonged to the Slytherin ghost. Then, clearing his throat, nearly inaudibly, Harry took a step forward.

"Is there something I can…do…for you?" he asked hesitantly, not quite sure how to address the Baron properly. The seconds ticked on endlessly, but there was no reply, and he tried again.

"What is it you want?" Harry asked, a bit more confidence in his tone, taking another step towards the grim-looking figure.

The Baron moved then, straight at Harry, and the young professor stepped aside, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop the ghost from exiting, should that be his intention, and not wanting to feel the icy chill that was certain to follow should the Slytherin ghost pass through him. But the Baron did not leave, and instead came to a slow halt just in front of Harry.

For several moments that felt like ages, Harry waited, his hands balled into fists at his sides. This was the closest he'd ever been to the Baron, and the longest he'd ever been in his presence…he didn't care for it in the least. He opened his mouth to ask again what it was that the ghost wanted, when suddenly, for the first time in all of his years at Hogwarts, Harry heard the Baron speak.

"Do. Not. Get. In. My. Way." the terrifying ghost spoke, saying each word slowly and pointedly, his dead eyes boring into Harry's soul. Harry cringed inwardly at the sound of the Baron's raw voice, shivering involuntarily. It was dry and cracking, a hoarse whisper mixed with a chilling wind, and somewhere beneath it, only barely audible, a high-pitched screeching, like nails on a chalkboard. It took everything Harry had in him, to ask another question.

"What do you mean?" he spoke, forcing his voice to remain steady, "How am I in your way?"

"This one is mine," the Baron replied, quicker this time, but the threat in his voice still evident.

"What one?" Harry couldn't stop himself from asking. "Is there something here that you want? What are you looking for?"

But the Baron had already begun to exit, dismissing Harry entirely and disappearing through the corridor. Harry stood for a moment, his mind racing with countless questions as he tried to grasp what had just happened. He looked around the dark, cold office, not sure what to do, when he made a sudden decision. Without a second thought, Harry turned on the spot, exiting the office and starting down the hall.

Walking so quickly he was nearly running, Harry made his way down the corridors and into the dungeon area. He didn't know if he was making the right choice by going to Snape, but as head of Slytherin, Harry assumed the potions master would at least know something that might help him with the Bloody Baron.

As he reached the doorway to the office, Harry raised one hand absently, brushing the hair back from his eyes so he wouldn't look as though he'd just ran all the way down here, before knocking curtly on the door, and pushing it open.

"Professor Snape?" he called out softly, poking his head through the opening and glancing around into the dark room.

"What do you want, Potter?" came the icy reply. "Maybe you don't have much to prepare for your classes but some of us take our job seriously."

"I'm sorry to bother you," Harry said quickly, biting his tongue against the reply he would rather have given the potions master. "I was just wondering if I could ask you something…"

"And I'm telling you no, I do not have time," Snape snapped from where he sat at his desk. His long, black locks were hanging in his face as he hunched over a stack of paperwork, glaring up at Harry on occasion.

"It's about the Bloody Baron…" Harry persisted.

"Is he unable to enter your office again?" Snape asked, seeming suddenly interested.

"No, the opposite, actually," Harry replied. "I returned to my office today and found him inside…near my desk."

"Then I fail to see the problem here," Snape replied, all signs of curiosity disappearing from his expression as he returned his gaze to his work.

"He spoke to me, professor," Harry continued, taking a step further into the room. He wasn't going to let Snape cut him off. "He told me to stay out of his way…"

"Then I suggest you do as he asks," Snape replied, an expression of mixed annoyance and amusement on his face. "It isn't very wise to go around upsetting the ghosts…"

"I didn't do anything to upset him," Harry interrupted, trying to keep his voice even and wondering if he'd ever have a discussion with Snape that didn't try his patience. "He told me to stay out of his way and then he said this one is mine."

"Did you ask him what he meant?" Snape asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "He didn't answer though."

For a few minutes, neither wizard spoke, and Harry waited patiently where he stood as Snape seemed to consider.

"Alright," the potions master spoke at last, nodding quietly. "I'll try to find out."

"How?" Harry asked.

"How do you think, Potter?" Snape asked impatiently. "By talking with the baron."

"He'll tell you?"

"I'll find out, won't I?"

Harry raised one eyebrow, questioningly.

"You mean there's a chance he won't talk to you about it?" he asked.

"You sound surprised," Snape remarked. "It isn't as if I can force him, you know."

"But-"

"But nothing," Snape cut him off sharply. "I said I would speak with the baron and I will. Unfortunately, the only person who was ever able to get a clear and complete response from him is locked in a prison cell right now."

Harry nodded slowly, wondering if there was any real chance of finding anything out now.

"I'll go speak with Minerva as well," he began.

"Don't bother, I'll tell her," Snape said quickly. "Let us know if the baron is in your office again, and what he seems to be interested in while he's there."

"I will," Harry replied quietly. "Thank you," he added, uncertainly, before turning away and silently exiting the office.

"So that's it then?" Ron asked incredulously. "They're not going to do anything else?" It had been one week since Harry's talk with Snape. Classes had started up again and were going surprisingly smooth. Troy kept more to himself than was usual, but Harry didn't complain. The only problem had been the one incident with the Bloody Baron, and even after both Snape and Minerva had spoken to him, they still didn't know what he was up to.

"What else can they do?" Harry shrugged, sitting back against the couch. It was the weekend, and both he and Mel had been invited to Ron and Hermione's for lunch. Harry had told them of his run in with the baron, and the conversation he'd had just after with Snape. "They spoke with the baron; he wouldn't tell them any more than he did me. We're certain he's looking for something in my office, but if he's coming back, he must be doing it when I'm not around, because I haven't seen him since that day."

"You'd think they'd have better control over the ghosts," Mel said, shaking her head in frustration. "Or that there'd be some way to make him talk…I mean, this is important…"

"She's right," Hermione spoke up. "Even Peeves listens when it comes to the instructors…for the most part…"

"Well apparently the baron doesn't," Harry said. "Snape said that Dumbledore was the only person he'd ever give a straight answer to, and unfortunately I don't have a way of speaking with him right now."

"Maybe we could ask Marzia to ask him?" Mel suggested. "Or Mr. Weasley," She continued, turning to Ron."

"No," Ron replied quickly, shaking his head darkly. "Thurston is keeping close watch on anyone who he doesn't trust right now. My dad can't get in to speak with Dumbledore privately, I'm sure Marzia would probably be having the same problem…the guards just refuse to leave them alone. Thurston actually made a list of ministers that can and can't have an isolated cell to speak with the head minister"

"But, how can he do that?" Mel cried angrily. "Dumbledore is entitled to a fair trial."

"Which it definitely won't be if Thurston has the guards reporting back to him on everything Dumbledore tells the ministers that are trying to help him," Hermione added.

"We're trying to fight it," Ron said quickly. "My dad and Percy have both tried getting private meetings…so have several other ministers, but so far the guards aren't budging. The warden isn't forcing the matter either, so Thurston must've gotten to him too…" he trailed off, snickering quietly before continuing. "Ironically, I think Draco is on the list of those that can have an isolated cell for a meeting with Dumbledore…"

"Well that doesn't help us any," Hermione said flatly. "He's already made it clear that he doesn't want to be caught even associating with us any more."

"Maybe he wouldn't mind though," Mel said quietly. "I mean, since we'd only want him to ask about the baron…nothing to do with the investigation."

"Not likely," Harry said, laughing at the thought. He couldn't even imagine what Draco's reaction would be to that particular request. He'd probably laugh in their faces, or worse, he'd find some way to use what Harry told him about the baron to his advantage. No, it was definitely better not to tell Draco of any of this…however…

Harry sat up suddenly when an idea struck him.

"Ron, are you certain Draco can get in to see Dumbledore for a private meeting?" he asked quickly.

"I'm pretty sure…why?" he replied curiously.

"Do you know if Draco's been there at all yet?" Harry asked.

"I could find out…" he shrugged, his brow furrowed in confusion over Harry's inquiries.

"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"I'm not sure yet," Harry said quietly. "I wonder if it would be easy to swipe a pair of Draco's robes…"

"Why would you need them?" Ron asked, baffled. Hermione, however, was catching on right away.

"Harry, no…you can't. If you get caught you'll be in prison as well."

"How else do you propose we find out about the baron?" Harry asked. "It's only a thought, besides I don't have any of his robes…it would never work without them. Anyone who's seen him knows what an impression he likes to make."

"Do either of you want to explain what you're talking about to the rest of us?" Ron spoke up impatiently.

"Harry's thinking of using Polyjuice to get in to see Dumbledore," Hermione answered immediately, crossing her arms over her chest and throwing Harry one of her infamous stern looks.

"Hey, that could work!" Ron said excitedly.

"Ron!" Hermione cried, horrified. "What's wrong with the both of you…you're talking about sneaking into a highly guarded prison where they obviously mistreat the inmates, not to mention the fact that Thurston would more than likely jump at the chance to lock you up if you're caught!"

"If I drink the potion just before I go in, and don't stay an hour…how will I get caught?" Harry asked, grinning.

"What if Draco decides to visit that day?" Hermione said at once. "How will you explain two Draco Malfoys?"

"So we make sure he doesn't come that day," Ron jumped in.

"It could work Hermione," Harry nodded. "If we start on the potion right away, then I can find out about the baron in a month rather than waiting for him to finally talk to us…all I need is a pair of robes…"

"Well I doubt you'll get Draco to just lend you a pair," Hermione said stiffly. "So your plan stops right there…"

"Actually," Mel spoke up, hesitantly. "I might be able to get you a pair of his robes."

"How?" Harry and Ron both asked excitedly as Hermione's jaw dropped in dismay.

"Alright, before I tell you, I just want to say that if this seems like we're missing something from this plan…if it doesn't feel right, I won't do it…"

"Neither would I," Harry assured her with a grin.

"Good," Mel nodded. "Now, Draco, as you said, likes to keep up his appearance, and he comes in to the shop once a month to have his robes adjusted. Never anything big…I mean really, how horrible can they get after just a month, but he's always there just the same. He usually brings in four or five at a time, so I could just borrow one for a day…as long as I had it back that night."

"Perfect!" Ron smiled.

"Not the word I would choose," Hermione muttered.

"Oh c'mon Herm, think about it…this could work," Ron said.

"Please Hermione, I really need your help on this," Harry said sincerely. "Maybe the baron's search for whatever it is in my office doesn't mean anything…but if it does, this is the only way I'm going to find out. Now you're the only one who's made Polyjuice Potion before out of the four of us…and I'm asking you to do it again."

Hermione looked back at Harry, a stony expression on her face, and remained silent for several minutes. Harry simply looked back, hopefully, praying she agreed.

"I want you to know," she began at last, "that if my apartment holds onto that awful smell after that potion is finished, you are going to be responsible for scrubbing it until it's fresh and clean."

"Deal," Harry laughed. "Thank you."

"Just promise me you won't get caught," she said seriously.

"I promise," Harry nodded.

"Alright," Ron said then. "So when are we going to do this?"

Hermione promised to pick up the ingredients she would need to mix the potion on her way home the next day. They decided to start as soon as possible, if only just to get it over with. With the tentative plan set for one month's time, Harry returned to Hogwarts to wait.

Another week passed easily, and Harry still hadn't seen the baron return to his office. February began, with quidditch practice in full swing, and excitement about the annual dance building. If he didn't think about anything going on in the outside world, Harry could almost convince himself things were moving along nicely, seeming quite normal.

When Saturday came around again, Harry had accepted an invitation for tea with Hagrid, something he hadn't done in a long while. Despite the rock hard treacle fudge Hagrid was so proud of, Harry realized he missed those visits a lot more than he thought.

As he was making his way through the corridors, however, he stopped when he heard voices from a nearby passageway. Backtracking a few paces, Harry peered down the hall, seeing four students. He recognized three Ravenclaw third-years, one of which seemed to be angry, and was talking harshly to the fourth student, Hadley Thurnes.

Shaking his head, realizing he should've known this would happen again, he started down the hallway, slowing as he reached the group.

"Look, I never said anything that wasn't the truth," Hadley was saying, a haughty tone to her voice.

"That's my point!" one of the Ravenclaws shot back, angrily. Harry recognized her from class. She was a short girl with light brown hair; her name was Samantha. "I want to know why you were spying on me! Did you sneak into my dorm?"

"Why would I want to spy on you?" Hadley spat, disgustedly, showing how obviously ridiculous she considered that idea to be.

"How else would you know?" Samantha asked, fiercely, but her glare faltered as she saw Harry approaching, and immediately took a step away from Hadley.

"What's going on?" Harry asked quietly, as a dead silence fell over the students. No one made any attempt to reply, so he turned his gaze to the Ravenclaws.

"Samantha?" he asked. "Why were you yelling at Hadley?"

"I'm sorry professor," the young girl began, keeping her eyes on the floor. "I didn't mean to yell."

"Just tell me what happened," Harry nodded gently.

"I don't know…I mean…it's sort of, personal…" Samantha stammered, her face growing red.

"Alright," Harry nodded, "I want you three to wait right here," he said to the others, who nodded silently in reply. "Samantha, would you come with me please?" He waited for the young Ravenclaw to start towards him and led her down the length of the hall, until they were out of earshot of the other students, but where Harry could still see them.

"Now, can you tell me what happened?" he asked again, crouching down so he was at eye level with her.

"Hadley told everyone something about me," Samantha whispered, her eyes narrowing and Harry could see tears forming in them. "Something I haven't told anyone else…she only could've found out if she looked in my diary…"

"Can you tell me what it is?" Harry asked kindly.

"It's not…it's…" she began, becoming frustrated and sighing shakily. "I feel stupid," she said, quietly, looking up and meeting Harry's eyes slowly. He tried to look back reassuringly as she continued. "She knew about a boy…that I…like…" Samantha trailed off, looking away again, embarrassed.

"Hey, it's alright," Harry said quickly, putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling gently. "Believe it or not, I can understand what you're feeling…"

"But she told him!" Samantha whispered fiercely, looking up again. "She blurted it out in front of everyone, and he was right there! I couldn't even say anything…I just ran away…" she trailed off, delicate tears making their way down the sides of her face. "He probably hates me now…"   
"I'm sure he doesn't hate you," Harry said softly, waiting a moment before speaking again. "Do you know why Hadley would say that to him?"

"I don't know," Samantha said, shaking her head and wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"You're sure?" Harry asked, knowing when it came to Hadley, this could full well be the truth but he wanted to make sure.

"I never did anything that would give her a reason to steal my diary and…and…do what she did…" Samantha said quietly.

"I believe you," Harry said. "Though I'm going to have to ask her about it as well…I just want to know if you remember her seeming upset with you at all…before this happened."

Samantha was silent for a few moments, her eyes slowly raising to meet his.

"Well, we did have an argument…I mean sort of…last weekend…" she said hesitantly.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Harry asked.

"It wasn't very big," Samantha said quickly. "There were a bunch of us out watching the quidditch practices…Hadley was there too, but she wasn't with anyone. When it was over, some of the boys convinced Madame Hooch to let us out on the pitch for just a little while, just for fun. I didn't have my broom with me, and neither did some of the other students, so we went to the broom shed to borrow a few…none of the players' brooms, just the school ones. I grabbed the first one I saw, but before I turned away, I saw a newer Comet beneath it…and picked that one up instead. I guess Hadley must've seen it too, but I already had it. She tried to pull it away, even scratched my hand," Samantha said, raising her left arm and showing Harry the nearly healed scratches just on the surface of her skin. "Madam Hooch saw her, and sent her inside. She took points from Slytherin too."

Harry gave an inaudible sigh of exasperation, shaking his head slowly. Hadley seemed to dwell on the most trivial matters, and caused them to become much bigger than they ever should be.

"I really am sorry I yelled at her, professor," Samantha said quietly as Harry looked back at her again. "I was just so angry at what she did…and when I saw her in the hall just now…"

"It's alright," Harry said quietly, nodding faintly. He knew Samantha had never been one to pick fights. "Come on," he said, standing up and gesturing for her to follow. They made their way back up the hall to where the other three were waiting. Harry sent the Ravenclaws on their way, and waited until they were a short distance up the hall, before looking down at the young Slytherin.

"Hadley," he began, gently, only the smallest hint of authority in his tone. "Walk with me, we need to talk."

"Are you going to take points from Slytherin?" Hadley asked immediately, stepping quickly to stay beside Harry.

"How did I know you were going to ask that?" Harry asked, holding in a small laugh.

"Well are you?" Hadley persisted.

"Not yet," Harry replied, coming to a halt and turning to face her. They were back near the end of the corridor, where he had spoken to Samantha a few moments earlier. "First I want you to tell me what happened."

"What happened when?" Hadley asked with a shrug.

"Well, to start, how did you know about the boy Samantha liked?"

"You mean Rob? Who doesn't know? Anyone who sees her looking at him would know…"

"Is that so?" Harry asked wryly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And when did you become so interested in watching Samantha to know this?"

"I'm very observant," Hadley replied, a small grin crossing her lips.

"So then why did you feel the need to embarrass Samantha? It wasn't nice of you to tell everyone about…Rob."

"I didn't tell everyone," Hadley said quickly. "I just happened to say it without realizing Rob was nearby."

"Say it to who?" Harry asked. "Who were you telling?"

"Just a friend," Hadley replied.

"Samantha seemed to think you were saying it on purpose so that Rob would hear you," Harry said evenly.

"Well she's lying," Hadley said as if it should be obvious.

"Why would she lie?"

"I don't know…but you saw how she was yelling at me…probably to get back at me."

"So she lied to me to get back at you for accidentally letting it slip in front of Rob that she likes him?" Harry asked, arching a skeptical eyebrow.

Hadley paused a moment, thinking back over what he'd just said, before nodding.

"Yes, that's it."

Harry wondered if she realized what a horrible liar she really was.

"What about the fight over the broom last weekend, were you angry with her for that?" he asked.

"Fight over the broom?" Hadley asked, innocently, before a light seemed to dawn in her eyes. "Oh…no…I didn't even remember about that…"

"Hadley," Harry half sighed as he spoke. "Go back to your dormitory, okay?"

"Why, am I being punished?" she asked warily.

"No," Harry shook his head faintly. "Just don't get into any fights on your way."

"Thank you professor," she smiled as sweetly as Harry had ever seen her. He watched for a minute as she turned and trotted off down the hall, before stepping out of the passageway and back down the corridor he had originally started in.

"Was wonderin if you were still comin," Hagrid said as he opened the door to his hut, allowing Harry to enter.

"Sorry I'm late Hagrid," he said quickly. "I was held up by several students…having an argument."

"Oh," Hagrid said knowingly, a large grin on his face. "Took care of 'em, I imagine?"

"Not exactly," Harry said, lowering himself into one of the overly large chairs. "Though that seems to be the case in any spat involving Hadley Thurnes."

Hagrid let out a short laugh as he brought the kettle over, pouring them both a cup.

"That don' su'prise me none," he said knowingly.

"She acts up in your class too?" Harry asked.

"Seems teh be in her nature," Hagrid replied as he took his seat across from Harry. "She's rude…tries teh be confident and she don't pay any attention."

"But why does she keep starting fights with other students? They're never for anything so important that makes it worth it. She lies about anything so long as the blame is shifted off of her…and she knows things…" he trailed off.

"Knows wha' things?" Hagrid asked.

Harry paused a moment, before shaking his head and sighing quietly.

"Things she shouldn't know," he said with a shrug. "She tries to pass it off every time she's questioned about them…but I don't believe her. There's more to her than any of us realize…and I have no idea how to find out what it is."

"Sounds like yeh think she can read minds er summat."

"Maybe she can," Harry laughed, considering the idea. "But if she can, then why does she only use it on students when she's angry with them? I wouldn't put it past her to use that skill to get the answers in class, to cheat on tests…"

"Maybe she ain't able to control it right yet," Hagrid suggested.

"I suppose," Harry nodded faintly. "It's just that it's too much to be coincidence. Plus…remember back near the beginning of the year, someone was after her, they tried to lure her out to the dementors."

"McGonagall tol' me," Hagrid nodded gravely.

"Well we still don't know anything about it," Harry said. "Who was after her? Adrik was there, but was he there for that or something else? Why does this person want her out of the way? Why haven't they tried again? How did they get to her in the first place? I mean, we have so many protections up around this school now, there's no way I can think of that anyone can get in, and if they did we'd know."

"I don' know about none a that," Hagrid said, sitting back in his chair. "But if yeh wanted teh find out more about Hadley, yeh could always owl her folks…ask for a meetin',"

"We can do that?" Harry asked.

"O'course we can," Hagrid laughed. "Happened quite a bit with yer friends there o'er the years. Sometimes fer good news, sometimes not."

"I never realized," Harry said, thinking that made sense, actually. He never had parents for any of the instructors to meet with, and you couldn't have paid the Dursleys to accept such an invitation. But the more he thought about it, the better the idea seemed.

On his way back to the school, Harry decided he would indeed be sending an owl to Mr. and Mrs. Thurnes, and hopefully, if they agreed to meet with him, he could find out a bit more about their mysterious daughter.

When Harry received the Thurnes' reply, he was slightly disappointed to see they would not be able to meet with him until sometime in late March. They said they were out of town, but would be happy to contact him when they returned.

"At least they agreed to come," he said to himself as he folded the letter and placed it in his desk drawer.

As the days continued to pass, Harry still couldn't believe how things had settled down. Even with the occasional spats involving Hadley, no real obstacles, old or new, presented themselves. If the baron was visiting his office, he had taken to doing so while Harry wasn't there. There were no arguments with Snape, though Harry definitely wanted to find a time to ask him about the crystals again…and Troy was keeping to himself, more so than usual. Harry was certain the transfiguration professor seemed somewhat anxious a good deal of the time, but he couldn't dwell on that now, and he knew Troy would never tell him if he asked.

The third weekend in February arrived at last, and Harry was only now beginning to feel nervous over the plan to use the Polyjuice Potion. He knew it was risky, but it was the only way he'd ever be able to get in and speak with Dumbledore again.

After dressing quickly that morning, Harry made the short journey to Hogsmeade, and took the floo network from there to The Leaky Cauldron. He walked quickly through Diagon Alley, until he came to Madam Malkin's, and quickly slipped down the lane beside the shop. Once around back, Harry found the door Mel had told him about, leant against the wall beside it, and began to wait.

The minutes ticked by, and Harry checked his watch several times; as usual, Mel was running late. She had told him to be there just as the shop opened, as Draco always came first thing in the morning, so it would give them all day to make sure his robes were finished. Panicked thoughts began to race through his mind, and he could do nothing but wait. What if Draco didn't show up today? What if he did but Mel was caught trying to sneak away one of his robes? What if somehow the ministry knew what they were planning and…

The door beside Harry opened suddenly, and Mel peered out into the alley.

"You're late," Harry grinned with relief as Mel's eyes fell upon him. She stepped out, closing the door quietly behind her. Harry's smile faltered, however, when he saw how pale she seemed.

"Oh it feels so much better out here," Mel said, raising her head and letting the icy February wind whip against her face.

"You don't have a cloak on," Harry said worriedly, stepping closer and putting his arms around her. "Are you alright? You look ill! Shouldn't you have stayed home?"

"That would've ruined our plan," Mel replied simply, lifting a hand and wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead. "Besides, it's nothing big…I'll be fine."

"I care a lot more about you then the plan," Harry said quietly. "Please take the rest of the day off."

"I can't," Mel said firmly. "I have to be here when you bring the robes back."

"Then let's do this some other day…"

"Harry don't be silly, we've been planning this for a month," Mel said, taking a step away from him. "If you're going to cancel everything don't do it on account of my not feeling well."

"Are you sure?" he asked, hesitantly.

"Positive," Mel nodded, before suddenly scrunching up her nose. "Ugh! Do you smell that?"

"What?" Harry asked.

"It smells like…coffee…but horrible…" she stammered, bringing her hands up to cover her face. "Is there a new shop nearby that I don't know about?"

"I didn't see one…" Harry said slowly. "The nearest café is a few streets up, that way," he said pointing to his right, in a direction that led out of Diagon Alley.

"Well whatever they're making today, it's terribly strong," Mel nearly choked, looking ready to gag. "Wait right here, I'll grab the robes," she said, turning away quickly and heading back into the shop.

Seconds later, the door opened again, and Mel beckoned him to come inside.

"Now, don't say anything too loudly," she whispered, glancing warily towards the front of the shop. There was a thin curtain hanging over the entrance to the back area they were standing in, but if it were opened, there was no place he could hide. "I just couldn't stand out there any longer. Here are the robes," she paused, handing him a set of neatly folded black robes, then pulled an envelope from her pocket. "And here's a few strands of his hair."

"Were they hard to get?" Harry asked quietly.

"Apparently he never sheds," Mel shrugged. "I had to convince him there was a piece of lint in his hair, and accidentally tore out a few strands when getting it for him. He wasn't entirely pleased, but he doesn't suspect anything. Ron was already here, and he's following Draco now…to make sure you're not interrupted."

"Good," Harry nodded, hoping Draco would stay in Diagon Alley long enough for him to finish the visit at Nabakza. "I'll see you in an hour and half then."

Mel nodded faintly, putting her hand on the doorknob and looking at him solemnly.

"Promise me you're not going to do anything stupid…" she whispered, her eyes locked with his.

"You have no confidence in me at all, do you?" Harry joked, earning a hasty shushing from Mel.

"Just don't get caught, alright?"

"I'll be in and out, don't worry," Harry said softly. "And when I get back, I want you to tell Madam Malkin you're sick and you need the rest of the day off, alright?" he said, concernedly.

Mel shook her head, smirking.

"If I still don't feel well, then I will…you just worry about getting back safely, okay?"

"An hour and a half," he repeated with a grin. "Two hours at the latest,"

"I'll be waiting," Mel nodded. He leant down, kissing her quickly, before they heard an older woman's voice calling for her from up front, and Mel hastily ushered him out the door.

Carrying the robes under one arm and slipping the envelope in his pocket, Harry quickly made his way back up the busy marketplace, before entering the Leaky Cauldron once more. He tossed a handful of floo powder into the flames, and was on his way to Hermione's.

"Do you have the robes?" Hermione asked, the moment Harry stepped out into the living room.

"Right here," Harry replied, quickly unfolding the perfect black robes. "Mel got a few of his hairs as well, straight out of his head, so there won't be any mishaps," he joked, earning a stony glare from Hermione.

"You know, you shouldn't say things like that before you've drunk the potion," she said mock-threateningly.

"Sorry, you're right," Harry laughed. "Millicent Bulstrode's hair was so coarse, I'm sure anyone could confuse it for cat's hair…"

"Alright, alright," Hermione said, laughing lightly. "We can continue this joyful talk some other time. Let's not waste any of the time we have. If Ron thinks Malfoy might go anywhere that he can't follow he'll try to stop him, but we can't count on that being enough."

"Let me just throw these on," Harry said, gesturing at the robes. "The potion's ready, right?"

"Yes, but first, come in here," Hermione said briskly, motioning for Harry to follow her. They went into the bedroom where Harry saw a dark green, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black trousers laid out on the bed. There was a pair of perfectly polished black shoes on the floor as well.

"I just wanted to be sure," Hermione began explaining quickly, seeing the questioning look on Harry's face. "You and Draco seem to be about the same size, but just in case, I picked these up, they're his size, I found out from Mel, and they look like something he would wear…"

"They certainly do," Harry nodded. "Alright, you go get the potion ready, I'll get changed."

Hermione nodded, and shut the door quietly behind her as she hurried back into the living room. Harry threw off the clothes he'd been wearing, and slid into the new ones. He realized at once Hermione had been smart to do this, as the clothes he had on now were definitely a bit on the tight side, particularly in the shoulder area. The shoes, however, were slightly large, and his feet slid back and forth in them as he moved. He shrugged the robes on over the outfit, feeling uncomfortably hot now in the tight clothing, and stepped into the living room.

"Here," Hermione said, already waiting for him with a cup of the potion in hand. "Put the hairs in and drink it all, you can use the bathroom if you'd like…" she trailed off, and Harry suddenly remembered how badly this had hurt the last time he'd done it. Ducking back into the bedroom and pulling the envelope out of his pocket, Harry went into the bathroom and closed the door.

Several minutes later, breathing heavily despite his now comfortable clothes, Draco Malfoy stepped into the living room.

"I'm going to leave my glasses here," he began, placing them on the mantle, and thinking how odd it sounded, hearing his thoughts spoken in Draco's voice.

"C'mere," Hermione interrupted curtly, completely unfazed by his appearance. Harry stepped towards her as she made him duck his head down, and felt her patting it into place.

"Tell me you're not spitting onto your hand," Harry said, a sickened expression on his face.

"Oh hush, Draco's hair never sticks up, we have to make this believable," she said casually. When she was finished, she stepped back briskly and pointed towards the hearth. "Now quick, we've used about five minutes, so you better get going."

Harry nodded, thanking her quickly, and in seconds found himself in the swirling of colors through the floo network, on his way to Nabakza.

Stepping out into the cold, dark entryway, Harry brushed off the soot from his clothes, and glanced around. It was completely empty.

"Hello?" Harry called out, trying to remember from his last visit how long it had been until the warden showed up. He looked towards the long tunnel with the jagged gravel, and back to the opposite side of the small lobby, but there was no movement, no noise.

Harry could feel sweat beading up on his brow. What if he wasted too much time waiting for someone to come? He would miss his chance to speak with the head minister and this would all be for nothing.

"Mr. Malfoy?" an unexpected voice startled him, and Harry whirled around to find the ghastly pale warden standing directly in front of him. "I wasn't aware you would be visiting today."

"Oh…um…sor-" Harry began, catching himself as he heard Draco's voice again. Malfoy would never apologize for this. "It was a last minute decision," he said hastily, hoping he was sneering enough.

"Of course, of course," the warden nodded, understandingly. "Was the ministry channel inoperative? Why did you use the visitors' entrance?"

"I wasn't at the ministry this morning," Harry replied, honestly enough, then decided impulsively to go with this so he could move things along. "But I do need to be there for a meeting shortly, I'm in quite a hurry today…very busy," he stated firmly. "I need to speak with Albus Dumbledore."

"Certainly, Mr. Malfoy," the warden replied, bowing his head faintly, before moving past Harry and towards the opposite wall. Harry felt a swell of relief at how easy that had been. He watched as a door appeared in the thick stones, and the warden beckoned him to follow. He was somewhat relieved that he wouldn't have to walk through the tunnel this time, and stepped through the doorway into a well-lit room.

Gesturing for Harry to wait where he was, the warden stepped forward, where two guards were standing, side-by-side, and a short distance apart from one another, in the very center of the room. Harry could see two more guards standing about the same distance from one another, against the far wall.

After speaking quietly with the two closer guards, the warden turned back to Harry.

"Fourteen will take you to the private cell, Mr. Malfoy," he said, gesturing to one of the guards. "The prisoner will be brought in for your meeting."

Harry nodded stiffly, thinking how odd it was that the guards were addressed by numbers, and stepped forward. Fourteen smirked proudly as he stepped in front of the area he and the other guard had been flanking, and put his hand up. Harry saw the air shimmer, like it did over a fire, and half a second later, he stepped through and vanished. Trying not to look surprised, as he was sure Draco had probably already seen this happen before, Harry set his jaw and followed the guard, seeing the room change around him as he made contact with the shimmering air.

"Wait right here," Fourteen said, "The old man will be brought in soon."

Harry nodded, biting his tongue against correcting the guard, but feeling angry at how this man had just addressed the former headmaster.

Fourteen left the room through a thick steel door to Harry's right, slamming it shut behind him. Harry immediately pulled out his watch, seeing he had about forty minutes left, before turning to look at the cell. The walls were windowless and the air was quite stale. There was a heavy wooden table in the center of the small room, with one straight-backed chair on either side of it. Harry took the seat closest to him, and immediately a tall glass of water materialized onto the table in front of him.

A loud bang made Harry jump as the door was heaved open again, and two tall guards ushered a very thin Dumbledore into the room.

Harry clenched his teeth, doing everything he could to not look as angry as he was feeling. The two guards led the head minister to the empty chair, and Harry watched as shackles appeared around the wooden legs, clamping over Dumbledore's ankles.

The guards nodded at Harry, who did not return the gesture, before exiting the small room and slamming the door shut behind them.

Harry looked away from the exit to the pale, ragged man sitting across the table from him, and took a deep breath, before speaking.

"I don't have much time, there's something I need to ask you about," he spoke quickly.

"Of course Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore nodded, his voice somewhat raspy and his eyes narrowed curiously, "but may I ask, is everything alright? You do not seem yourself today."

"It's me," Harry whispered, leaning closer. "Harry."

"Dumbledore's eyes widened at once and he looked back at Harry intently.

"Mr. Potter, what you're doing is quite dangerous…"

"I know," Harry cut in quickly. "Please though, I really don't have much time. I didn't bring any extra Polyjuice Potion with me because I thought they might find it if they searched me…but I didn't know they don't search ministry members." He paused, glancing down at his watch again. "I have thirty-six minutes left."

Dumbledore's eyes showed clearly how he wished Harry hadn't done this, but he understood there was no turning back at this point, and simply nodded. Harry could see how dry the man's skin was, how brittle the hair of his once long, full beard had become.

"Is there anything I can do for you at all?" he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Do not worry about me Harry," Dumbledore said evenly. "I want you out of here as soon as possible, so please, ask me what you came here to ask."

Harry nodded reluctantly, hating the helplessness he was feeling for the head minister.

"I know this is going to sound strange," he began quickly, "but can you tell me anything at all about the Bloody Baron?"

"Still hovering about near your office, is he?" Dumbledore asked.

"In my office, actually," Harry replied. "He told me to stay out of his way, and then said this one is mine, no one has any idea what he's talking about."

"He is hunting, Harry. It is what he does."

"Hunting what?" Harry asked.

"That I cannot say," Dumbledore replied, attempting to sit back in the uncomfortable chair. "You see, the baron is the oldest ghost at Hogwarts, the first one ever to roam the school's halls. He was brought there by Salazar Slytherin himself. During his life, the baron, Wesley Thorpe, was quite wealthy; had everything he wanted, when he wanted it. He was also quite reclusive, and moved away from his parents when he was only fifteen. He never married, never had children…he preferred to live alone. The servants were not even allowed in the same room as he, and if they needed to speak with him, they had to write him a note."

"How horrible," Harry mused, narrowing his eyes in wonder.

"Wesley did not think so," Dumbledore replied simply. "But as much as he loved being alone, he loved hunting more. He loved to kill, and this was the only way to do it without causing a stir. He always went out into the most dangerous areas, the ones that the few people he spoke to warned him away from, and always armed only with his wand. After many years of success, Wesley finally met his end in Greece, while attempting to slay a Chimaera. There has only ever been one successful slaying of a Chimaera, and it was not by Wesley's hands. He died quite painfully, but even in death, has not lost his thirst for hunting."

"And killing?" Harry asked, quietly.

"Ghosts cannot kill humans, there is nothing he could do to truly harm you."

"Does he know that?" Harry asked. "Because if you'd seen the way he looked at me…" he trailed off briefly. "What could he be looking for if he can't harm anything?"

"As I said, I do not know," Dumbledore shook his head faintly. "It has been a long while since Wesley hunted. Slytherin, I've been told, brought the baron's ghost to the school as a means to protect his secrets. And it worked, most everyone that even glimpsed the Bloody Baron was terrified of him, and would never think of crossing him, despite that he was only a ghost."

"Does he think he's doing something for Slytherin then?" Harry suggested.

"I would think not," Dumbledore replied. "He is well aware that Slytherin passed on long ago, and simply decided to remain at the school. It was the only place he knew as a home, and everyone kept their distance. As other ghosts were brought in over the years, he did not seem entirely pleased, and on occasion, if there was one in particular he didn't like, that ghost would opt to leave shortly after their arrival."

"Have you ever seen him act like this before?" Harry asked. "Have you ever seen him when he's hunting?"

"On one occasion, I thought he might be," Dumbledore nodded. "It was a little over a year ago…maybe a year and half, but as suddenly as his strange behavior started…it ended. I asked him about it, and he would only say he had been mistaken."

"Do you believe him?" Harry asked.

"I believe he believed that, yes," Dumbledore nodded, looking suddenly as if he were trying to swallow hard, but couldn't, and raised his hand to his face just as he began to cough harshly. Harry looked around and spotted the glass of water that had appeared on the table when he'd first sat down. He grabbed it at once, starting to push it across to Dumbledore, not realizing the head minister was trying to gesture for him to stop, when suddenly the tall glass hit the middle of the table, and shattered.

Immediately, before Harry's mind could even register what had just happened, the thick steel door swung forcefully open, and two guards rushed into the cell, looking ready to attack.

"Is everything alright sir?" the one closer to him asked, while the other kept his eyes firmly on the head minister, as if he were some great danger in his present state.

"Everything is fi-" Harry began, cutting off abruptly as a thought struck him. "Did you hear the glass break? Have you been listening?" he asked, accusingly.

"No sir, we were alerted to a barrier disturbance and came to assist you," the guard replied evenly.

Harry held back from asking what a barrier disturbance was, thinking Malfoy would probably already know and figuring there must've been something he couldn't see between he and Albus, as the glass wouldn't just shatter on its own.

"If everything's alright we'll let you be sir," the guard said stiffly, eyeing the broken shards of glass on the table.

"I already told you everything's fine," Harry said impatiently, then feeling Draco wouldn't simply leave it there, continued. "You might want to speak with whomever it is that does the dishwashing around here as well," he sneered. "That glass was quite slippery."

"Reminds me of my nephew…he was very accident prone," Dumbledore spoke up then, nodding towards the fragments. To the guards, he must've looked as though he was just reminiscing, but his eyes were locked with Harry's. "Several things in my office found their way to the trash can because of him," he continued, chuckling a little.

"Enough old man, you're here for a meeting, not a walk down memory lane," the second guard said threateningly.

"What time is it?" Dumbledore asked, ignoring him.

Harry suddenly felt a jolt in his stomach, and realized he hadn't checked the time in a while, he pulled out his watch to find he only had seven minutes left.

"I have to go," he said abruptly, pushing away from the table and standing up.

"Alright," said the first guard, arching one eyebrow. "Right this way Mr. Malfoy," he said, motioning for Harry to step back to the corner of the room he had originally entered through. "Bring him back to his cell," he told the other guard, gesturing carelessly at Dumbledore.

Harry wanted to say something…anything, that might sound reassuring or just caring to the head minister, but had to bite his tongue. He watched for a brief moment as Albus was helped out of his chair, before turning back to the first guard.

A few seconds later, they had passed through the shimmering doorway and were in the middle of the room he'd started from. The warden was there, waiting to speak with him, and Harry glanced nervously at his watch.

"Did everything go well?" the warden asked, holding his hands together in front of him, an unpleasant smile on his face.

"Fine," Harry replied curtly. "I'm in a big hurry, however, and I really must be going…"

"Of course, Mr. Malfoy, of course," the warden nodded.

Three minutes left.

"Oh, and I heard of your complaint…I will speak with the dishwasher first thing."

"Good," Harry nodded impatiently.

"Well then, if that is all…do try and let us know if you plan on visiting again won't you?" the warden asked, politely.

"Alright," Harry replied quickly, feeling in a few seconds there would be no acting required on his part to act like Draco, he had to get out of there now and was beginning to feel desperate.

"Very well," the warden nodded, "Right this way, Mr. Malfoy," he said, turning away from Harry and facing the wall where the two guards were standing slightly apart from one another.

Harry didn't move. He knew they hadn't come in this way, the door that led to the main entrance had been on the wall behind him, not the one he was facing now.

Two minutes left.

"Look," he began, trying to sound demanding. "I already told you, I'm in a hurry…"

"Forgive me Mr. Malfoy," the warden began, sounding overly sincere, "but you told me earlier you had to be at the ministry for a meeting, did you not?"

"Wh-? Yes…" Harry stammered, confused.

"Well this is the ministry channel," the warden said, smiling and gesturing to the space between the two guards. "You remember, don't you? It will bring you straight back to the ministry building."

"Of course, I remember," Harry nodded stiffly, feeling his insides go cold. He tried frantically to think of a way out of this in the seconds he had left. If he was seen at the ministry now…well there was little chance it would turn out well.

One minute.

But if he was seen here it could turn out worse.

Harry decided to just go for it, it was better to get to the ministry and hope he could hide before he changed back, than to transform right here in front of the guards, who he realized, were all looking at him curiously.

"Yes well, I must be going then," he said hastily, stepping towards the blank wall. He could feel the sweat beading on his forehead, and prayed he didn't look as uneasy as he felt. His stomach was twisted in knots, and he had to raise a hand to loosen the collar of his shirt, when with a sudden sense of horror dawning on him, he realized…the change had begun. The shirt was growing tighter around his shoulders.

"You have to trigger it Mr. Malfoy," the warden said, seeing Harry standing there unmoving. "Remember?" he asked, pointing towards a patch of wall that was ever so slightly discolored, just beside the guard on the right.

Harry nodded briskly, immediately raising his hand and touching it to the wall. Half a second later, the barrier in front of him lit brightly, and he could feel that there was an open space in front of him. Without a second thought, wanting only to get away before he was himself again, Harry stepped hurriedly into the light.

The room he stumbled into was utterly dark, and thankfully empty. Harry could feel the pinching of the shirt now, and quickly pulled off Draco's robes for fear they might tear. After loosening the shirt near the collar, he turned around slowly and put his hand to the wall; it was completely solid, the doorway to Nabakza was gone. Taking a deep breath, Harry fumbled around in the dark, feeling his unruly hair hanging against his forehead once more, trying to find an exit. He felt his way around several chairs, which were set up evenly around a long table, and figured this must be some sort of meeting room, though he had no idea where in the ministry he was…what floor he was on.

When at last he reached the opposite wall, his fingers found what he'd been looking for. He took hold of the door handle and turned it slowly, then, after a moment of waiting, trying to hear if anyone might be nearby on the other side, he cautiously began to pull the door in.

The bright light hit his eyes harshly, and he involuntarily slammed them shut, before gradually reopening them and blinking several times. His stomach twisted slowly as he realized with a faint sense of panic, that he couldn't see clearly. He wasn't wearing his glasses…they were lying right where he'd left them, on the hearth in Hermione's apartment.

For a brief moment Harry froze, having no idea what to do now. He couldn't wander through the ministry feeling his way around and just hope he didn't run into anyone…but he couldn't just sit here either.

His decision was made for him, however, when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and quickly ducked back into the darkness. He shut the door as silently as possible, and backed up into the nearest corner. The footsteps grew closer and Harry held his breath as they neared the room he was in, only to feel his heart skip a beat, before beginning to pound in his chest, as they came to a stop.

Harry swore under his breath as the door began to open, and half a second later the room was bathed in light. He strained his eyes, trying to focus on the unclear figure that had entered the room, trying to think of what excuse he could possibly have for being here, when he heard a familiar voice.

"Potter?" Draco asked, clearly puzzled. "What are you doing in here? Trying to get yourself arrested?"

"Draco," Harry breathed, not sure if he should be relieved or worried. "Where's R-" he cut off abruptly, realizing Malfoy would probably not have known Ron was following him.

"Are those my robes?" Draco asked, an edge in his voice now. "Where did you get those? And how did you make it to this room without anyone noticing?"

"I'll explain everything, I swear," Harry said quickly. "But I need your help-" he cut off abruptly as another familiar voice reached his ears. Draco must've left the door open somewhat, and Harry could hear Marshall Thurston's voice, speaking with someone, moving up the hall.

Harry was at a loss for words, and was fully starting to panic. He was someplace he had been told he wasn't allowed to be after impersonating a member of the ministry to go somewhere else he also wasn't allowed. Now several more ministry members who held no great liking for him were on their way to the room he was trapped in at that very moment with someone who he didn't quite think would help him, and to top it off he couldn't see anything other than colors and shapes.

Letting out a shaky breath, Harry heard the ministers heading his way reach the door to the room at last, and was preparing himself for the worst, when suddenly he felt a hand on his left arm.

Before Harry had a chance to utter one word, Draco wrenched him halfway across the room. Harry heard the sound of a door opening before he was thrust forward into darkness again. His foot encountered something heavy, and he cringed at the clanging sound that it made when it was shoved into the wall, followed by utter silence.

The space around him was cramped and small, and he knew at once he was in a closet, but he didn't dare try to adjust his position, as the voices that had been in the hall just seconds ago were now in the room he'd been standing in. Harry held his breath, as it was all he could do, and started to listen.

"Mr. Malfoy," Thurston said, an overly polite edge in his tone. "We were just looking for you…I'd hoped you'd still be here."

Draco was silent for a moment, and Harry wished fervently he'd told Malfoy what he'd done…

"What is it you wanted?" Draco asked cautiously.

"To ask about your meeting with Albus," Thurston said briskly. "Warden Binh just contacted me, said you requested a private meeting with Dumbledore, and then left in a bit of a hurry."

Harry waited, forcing back the panic threatening to wash over him. If Draco turned him in, he would be arrested for what he'd done, and Harry wouldn't put it past him to do just that. Malfoy had made it quite clear how he wanted nothing to do with helping them, and if he covered for Harry now, there would be no turning back.

"I…I think…" Draco began slowly. "I'm sure it must've seemed as though I was acting…not quite myself," he said. "I didn't get much sleep last night…and I'm afraid it's catching up with me…"

Harry couldn't believe it! He began to feel a glimmer of hope that he might get out of this.

"Working too hard, Mr. Malfoy?" Thurston asked, wryly.

"No sir," Draco replied, forcing a chuckle at the stale joke.

"Is there anything we need to discuss then?" Thurston went on. "Anything of importance you'd like to share with me?"

"No sir," Malfoy replied evenly.

"No?" Thurston asked, arching one eyebrow. "Why then did you decide to visit Albus without first clearing it through me?" he asked, a sharp edge to his tone.

"I…I'm sorry sir," Draco stammered. "It won't happen again."

"Why did it happen this time?" Thurston pressed.

Another long pause, Harry waited tensely, his muscles aching from the awkward position he was remaining in.

"I must've…I…I didn't…" Draco stammered, before hesitating a moment, and continuing with a defeated sigh. "I forgot sir, I sincerely apologize…it won't-"

"Happen again," Thurston interrupted sneeringly. "That's quite right. It won't happen again because you are no longer permitted to visit Dumbledore without either myself or one of my assistants."

"Sir, please," Draco began, sounding horrified. "It was a mistake, I-"

"I don't care what your excuse is Mr. Malfoy, I expect better from you," Thurston cut in briskly. "Your father was a good man, with shining morals that he upheld, no matter what. What happened to him is an outrage, and I intend to have his name cleared as soon as all of this nonsense is past us. With someone like Lucius Malfoy having raised you, I would hope you might use a bit more of his good sense."

"Yes sir," Draco replied stiffly.

"Now," Thurston continued. "I expect a detailed report concerning the subject of your meeting with Albus Dumbledore on my desk by 7 a.m. tomorrow morning. Good day, Mr. Malfoy."

Seconds later, Harry heard a door close, and the room went silent. The quiet lasted for several minutes, and Harry was wondering if Draco had left as well, when suddenly he heard the handle to the closet turn, and the door was slowly pulled open.

"Why?" was all Draco asked, icily. Harry straightened up, his eyes adjusting to the light of the room once again, as he fumbled his way out of the closet.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, feeling far guiltier than he ever imagined he would.

"Are you trying to get me fired?" Draco persisted, his eyes flashing poisonously. "Did I do something so horrible that you decided you should try and ruin my life?"

"I didn't do it to get you in trouble," Harry said, wishing he could see Draco clearly, instead of the lumpy shape in front of him. "Thank you for not turning me in."

"Not yet I haven't," Draco spat angrily. "I wanted to hear the amazing excuse I'm sure you're going to tell me as to why you needed to impersonate me to get in to see Dumbledore."

"I needed to ask him…about the Bloody Baron," Harry replied quietly.

"And?" Draco prompted.

Harry remained silent.

"That's…it…?" Draco asked crisply. "That's the only reason you needed to speak with Dumbledore? You couldn't ask anyone at the school, perhaps? I know you don't like Snape but do you think maybe he might've been the better choice this time?"

"Keep your voice down," Harry hushed him nervously. "I did ask Snape, he couldn't answer my question."

"So you steal my robes, have your girlfriend pull out some of my hair, and become me for a while so you can sneak into a highly guarded prison to ask about a dead guy?"

"I don't know what else to say…I really am sorry…" Harry said helplessly.

Draco went silent, turning away and moving several steps across the room, glaring hatefully at the wall.

"What were you going to do before?" Harry asked. "When you first came to this room…just before Thurston arrived."

"I don't believe it's any of your business," Draco replied icily.

Harry nodded faintly; he had no right to press Malfoy for anything at the moment.

After several more minutes of silence, however, Draco began to speak.

"I was looking for Thurston," he said stiffly. "He wasn't in his office…it was probably while he was in the conference room, taking the message from the warden about my being at the prison. His office is on this floor, so I just started checking the rooms, and happened to find you before I found him."

"Oh," Harry nodded, wanting to ask why he was looking for Thurston…but feeling it would be wrong to push.

"You used Polyjuice, right?" Draco asked suddenly.

"Yes," Harry answered.

"Does it hurt?"

"Very much," Harry nodded, suddenly realizing what Draco was saying. No matter how much time went by, he still couldn't get used to Draco knowing when he was in pain. It seemed to come as a surprise every time he heard about it. "You felt it, didn't you?"

"Well Dumbledore isn't exactly around right now, so I didn't know who to tell, and at the time I didn't know what caused it," Draco said briskly. "Normally I come in late on Saturdays…I was going to ask Thurston if I could be a bit later than I'd planned…so I could go to the school…"

Harry felt the guilt weighing heavily on him increase as he realized what Malfoy was saying. He was going to the school to check on Harry, or get help for him if he wasn't there…

"Thank you," was all he could think to say.

"Look, I covered for you this time, but I'm not going to again. I just don't like the idea of feeling whatever it is they'd do to you if you were caught," Malfoy said crisply. "So I'm going to do one more thing for you and help you out of this building, as you obviously can't see to find your own way, and then I'm done with you. Don't ask me for help, and if you try to impersonate me again I'm coming out with it."

"I won't, I swear," Harry assured him, truly meaning it. "Thank you, I really mean it, I-"

"Here," Draco cut in impatiently, and Harry felt something light and soft hit him in the chest as he fumbled to catch it. "Put those on, no one will really look at you if you're wearing that."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"A janitor's uniform," Draco replied. "I found them in the closet you were in…just put them on, alright? We have to get going."

"Where have you been?" Hermione cried shrilly when Harry finally stepped out of the hearth into her apartment.

"We thought you were caught," Ron added, worriedly.

"What are you wearing?" Hermione spoke up again.

"What happened to Draco?" Ron asked, "I lost track of him when he apparated…I had no idea where he went."

"Guys I'll tell you everything, just calm down a minute," Harry said, shushing with his hands. "Um, Hermione? Can you hand me my glasses?"

When he could see clearly again, Harry looked at his friends, who were staring back at him anxiously from where they stood by the hearth.

"We've been worried sick," Hermione said then, looking fearfully at Harry. "You were gone much longer than an hour…Mel's been calling every few minutes now…we thought you'd been arrested…or worse!"

As if on cue, a whirl of purple flames filled the fireplace, and Mel's head appeared within them.

"I couldn't get through a moment ago, did you hear from him yet?" she asked at once, when suddenly her eyes fell upon Harry and an expression of sheer relief washed over her face. "Oh thank God," she whispered, bringing a hand up to her eyes as she closed them tightly.

"Mel, it's alright," Harry said gently, kneeling down in front of the flames and wishing she were there with him now.

"You had us so worried," Mel said, her voice shaking.

"I've heard," Harry said, smiling softly. "There were a few problems, but I'm fine now, see? I'm here."

"You're never doing that again," Mel said with finality.

"Trust me, I agree," Harry replied seriously.

"Good," she nodded, letting a small smile finally touch her lips. "I have to get going…I'll get in trouble if I don't stop taking breaks, but I want to hear all about what happened later."

"You will," Harry said softly. He watched for a moment as her face faded from view, before slowly standing up to face Ron and Hermione.

The three of them crossed to the couches together before Harry began to retell what had happened. He covered every last detail he could recall of his visit to Nabakza, and all that Dumbledore had told him, before continuing on to his narrow escape from the ministry.

"Draco used all the back halls and stairways to help me get downstairs," Harry said as he finished the story. "Once we reached the lobby, I was able to use one of the floo grates, and made it here."

"And after all that he still won't help us?" Ron said incredulously.

"Well I didn't exactly give him much reason to," Harry said, guiltily. "I impersonated him to speak with Dumbledore about a personal matter, and ended up getting him in trouble because of it. He could've just turned me in…and now he has to make something up for that report Thurston wants him to do, plus he lost his privilege for the private meetings…I'm not going to ask him for anything more…"

"So it was all for nothing," Ron commented miserably. "I mean, fine the baron used to be a hunter…we already knew he was looking for something, and we still don't know what."

"Well Dumbledore did say he thought the baron might be acting strangely a little more than a year ago, right?" Hermione asked.

"Right," Harry nodded. "But so much happened last year…"

"Still, at least we have something to go on," Hermione stated.

"You don't think it has to do with the entities, do you?" Ron asked, worriedly.

"I don't know," Harry replied, shaking his head. "We know Saaneeraa was there at the beginning of the year…Draam about midway through, I don't know about the others."

"They wouldn't be able to sneak in to Hogwarts now with all the added protections, would they?" Hermione asked.

"Again, I don't know," Harry said. "I don't know the extent of their powers…but for some reason, I don't think it's them. They'd need help getting out of Faerun, and I don't think Voldemort would quite be willing to do that this time."

"And seeing as how the Lestranges work for Voldemort, that would rule them out as well," Ron added.

"Right," Harry nodded. "Besides, I don't think of the entities as the type to sit around and wait…if they were in the school, they would have tried something by now." He paused for a moment, considering, before sighing inaudibly and speaking again. "I think for now I just have to keep a close watch on the baron…there's not much else I can do. If we find out anything else, maybe we could just ask your dad if he'll ask Dumbledore about it for us."

"Right," Ron replied, sardonically. "As soon as he's finished figuring out what the mark on the wall was. Whoever was hiding it didn't just move the painting, they did something to the burn mark…dad thinks if they'd had time, they would have erased it, but instead they just scrambled it. He's having a hard time finding out exactly what it was, or whose wand it came from."

"And they still can't ask any of the paintings?" Harry asked.

"No," Ron replied solemnly. "Whatever curse the person who froze them used…it's not one that's easy to neutralize."

"Fantastic," Harry said flatly, shaking his head and beginning to stand. "Alright, it's getting late and I should get going…I need to return these robes to Mel…"

"Wait just one more minute," Hermione said quickly. "There was something else I wanted to ask you."

"What?" Harry asked curiously, remaining in his seat.

"When you broke the glass in the cell, you said Dumbledore mentioned Travis breaking things all the time," Hermione began.

"He did," Harry said, "He looked right at me when he said it."

"Do you think he was trying to tell you something?" Hermione prompted.

"Well, I was only ever there once when Travis broke something…he was fooling around with my broom while Albus and I were talking…and accidentally knocked that old crystal ball off the desk-" Harry stopped abruptly, realizing what he had just said.

"What is it?" Hermione and Ron asked in unison, noticing the sudden change.

"The crystal ball," Harry murmured. "I can't believe it, why didn't I think of that before?" he said in frustration.

"Anytime you want to let us in on this…" Ron spoke up impatiently.

"Remember the picture of Dumbledore's office, the one in the Daily Prophet that we spent hours looking over?" Harry asked quickly.

"How could I forget?" Ron asked dryly.

"The crystal ball!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly. "There was one in the picture!"

"Exactly," Harry said. "After Travis had broken it."

"So maybe Dumbledore got another one?" Ron suggested with a shrug.

"No," Harry shook his head. "I don't think so. He wasn't terribly upset over the loss of that one…said he never really used it. I don't think he rushed out to replace it."

"Besides that had to be what he was hinting to you about earlier," Hermione said.

"We have to talk to your dad," Harry said suddenly, looking to Ron. "I'm assuming they left Dumbledore's office as it was, right? For evidence?"

"I think so," Ron nodded.

"Good," Harry said. "Let's ask him if there's a crystal ball there…tell him we think it needs to be checked out. There must be something special about it…and we have to find out what."

Slightly over half an hour later, Harry was once again at the back door to Madam Malkin's. He dropped off the robes with Mel who had no time to talk. She had to finish them before Draco came to pick them up.

Harry decided to wait until Mel's shift was over, and spent the next hour in Diagon Alley. He stopped by Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes to say hello to Fred and George, before heading over to Quality Quidditch Supplies to have a look around.

As he was heading back out onto the street to look for another shop, he was surprised to see Mel passing by. He caught up to her easily, putting a hand on her arm.

"Off early?" he smiled.

Mel just looked at him for few seconds, before throwing her arms around his neck in the middle of the crowded street. Harry just held her for a long moment until he felt her grip loosen, and she slowly slid away from him.

"Please, tell me what happened today?" she asked quietly. Harry nodded gently.

"Let's find someplace to sit," he said, not wanting to talk about anything with so many people around. "Are you hungry, we could…wait, are you feeling better? Maybe we should just…"

"I'm fine," Mel replied faintly. "Really, I just want to know what happened to you."

Harry nodded, before leading her back up the street to a small restaurant. They ordered an appetizer so they wouldn't be disturbed, which materialized before them on the table, before Harry finally began to retell all that had happened since he last saw Mel. She didn't interrupt, listening intently to everything he said, looking increasingly horrified with each passing minute, until he finally finished speaking.

"That was too close," she breathed immediately, definite fear in her tone.

"The important thing is only Draco knows…and he hasn't told."

"Yet," Mel muttered. "If at some point he thinks it's going to benefit him…"

"Mel, there's no use in worrying about it," Harry said gently, reaching across the table and taking one of her hands.

"I can't help it," she sighed, twisting her hand and slipping her fingers through his. "If you had been caught…"

"Mel, I wasn't," Harry cut her off softly. "And you don't have to worry about me trying that again either. If we need any information from Dumbledore, we'll have to ask Mr. Weasley to get it for us." He paused for a brief moment, looking longingly into her deep blue eyes. "I was really worried about you this morning, you looked like you were going to be ill. You're sure you're alright?" he asked quietly.

"Why, don't I look alright?" Mel asked, teasingly, smiling for the first time since they'd sat down.

"You look beautiful," Harry said, smiling back at her, before continuing, "but you didn't answer my question."

"Nothing gets past you," Mel joked.

"Alright, where did this come from?" Harry laughed. "Am I not allowed to know when you're feeling ill? You're always so worried about me it's only fair I get to return the sentiment."

"I already told you I'm fine," Mel said, grinning softly. "I didn't feel well earlier, but it passed."

Harry looked at her for a moment, deciding whether or not he wanted to push the issue, when the check flitted lazily down onto the table.

"Think they're trying to tell us something?" Mel asked wryly as Harry reached into his money sack.

"You mean something like you're taking up a perfectly good table on a busy Saturday night?" Harry asked, standing from his seat and helping Mel up from hers.

"Something like that, yes," Mel laughed, as the two of them stepped back out into the chilly evening air. They walked for several moments, and Harry put his arm around Mel to help shield her from the wind, pulling her close to him.

"How're classes going?" she asked softly. "We haven't talked about it in so long…it's all been about the Polyjuice Potion lately."

"They're fine," Harry laughed, telling her about the few occasions on which Hadley had caused trouble. "But I'll be meeting with her parents sometime next Month, so hopefully they can help me out a little…" he joked.

"It's really nice that you care so much about her though," Mel smiled, "that you'd go through this…I mean, she's not even in your house…"

"I care about all of the students," Harry replied gently, continuing with a wry smirk. "Which is probably why I got asked to be a chaperone at the dance next weekend."

"That should be fun," Mel grinned.

"Sure," Harry laughed. "Want to help?"

Mel paused for a moment, looking up at him and smirking.

"Do you want me to?"

"Wait, do you mean that?" Harry asked, not sure if she was joking with him.

"Of course," Mel smiled. "If you think I'd be allowed."

"I…I don't see why you wouldn't be," Harry said happily. "It'll be fun," he said, actually beginning to look forward to the dance.

"Great," Mel replied as they finally reached the floo station. "What time should I be ready?"

"If I tell you the correct time will you be ready? Or will I be waiting around for an hour?" Harry teased.

"Someone's going to be chaperoning alone…" Mel warned playfully.

"Six-thirty," Harry laughed. "The dance starts at seven, but I have to be there a bit before then."

"Alright," Mel nodded as Harry handed the clerk the toll money for her. "Six-thirty it is." She raised her head as he leant down, and they kissed softly, before she stepped into the grate and was whisked away in the swirling colors. Harry handed over his toll as well, and was soon on his way back to Hogsmeade.

"It's not there," Ron said darkly as he and Harry finally reached his office. It was Monday evening, and Ron had sent Harry an owl saying he needed to speak with him. Harry sent back telling him anytime after classes would be fine, and when he arrived, the two had immediately set off upstairs, to speak in private.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"I mean it's gone," Ron said. "I told my dad you realized that the crystal ball we saw in the picture of Dumbledore's office shouldn't be there, and maybe he should check it out. He said he didn't remember seeing one on his last few visits while he was working on the burn mark. So he took the photograph with him to make sure he was looking in the right spot, and it wasn't there. He checked the rest of the office too…nothing."

"So someone took it," Harry said darkly. "Which means there was something important about it."

"Yeah, good luck figuring out what though," Ron said dolefully.

"Is it possible someone just moved it?" Harry asked. "Another minister maybe? They could've wanted to do checks on all of the items, and didn't put that one back…?" he trailed off, weakly.

"Dad doesn't think so," Ron said, plopping down onto the couch as he spoke. "He said everyone he's working with knows enough to not take anything from the room, so whoever moved it is most likely not bringing it back."

"Dammit," Harry muttered, sitting back in his own seat. "Everything we find keeps getting taken away from us…"

"Thurston obviously had this planned out," Ron said bitterly.

"Well if he did then why all the mistakes?" Harry asked. "The robes we found in the closet that Ewan tried to stop us from seeing. The burn mark on the wall that your dad said could have been erased if there'd been more time. Now the crystal ball that was in the photograph, proving it was in the office at the time of the murders, being stolen…or more likely, removed from the scene of the crime."

"So he didn't plan as well as he thought," Ron shrugged. "I mean he got what he wanted…Dumbledore's in prison, and if the trial goes the way Thurston wants it to, in a few months he could possibly be head minister."

"I don't know," Harry shook his head in frustration. He sighed inwardly, wishing they could just find one solid piece of evidence that would prove Dumbledore's innocence. "Maybe…" he began after a minute or two, "maybe he didn't get what he wanted."

"How do you figure?" Ron asked, his tone expressing clearly just how insane he considered that statement to be.

"It just doesn't seem to fit," Harry said quietly. "Travis and Simone are murdered…and Dumbledore is left alive."

"Because Thurston wanted him framed," Ron cut in as if it should be obvious, "so he'd be out of the way and give Thurston a chance at leading the ministry."

"Right but think about it," Harry said quickly. "A trial is a big chance to give Dumbledore the opportunity to get out of this mess-"

"Not with what we've been able to find so far," Ron interrupted miserably.

"But it's still a chance," Harry said. "And Thurston doesn't strike me as the type who would want to leave that opening. If the person who killed Travis and Simone was able to take Dumbledore by surprise and knock him out…well they could have just as easily killed him right there. Then there'd be no trial, just an investigation…he wouldn't have to wait as long to take over the head minister position."

"That would all be only if he didn't get caught," Ron said.

"I'm sure he'd have someone all set up to take the fall," Harry said flatly.

"I don't know," Ron shook his head, doubtfully. "If Thurston had wanted Dumbledore dead don't you think the person that knocked him out would've used the killing curse instead?"

Harry thought for a moment, trying to figure out an explanation as to why that would be…but finally he just nodded slowly.

"I suppose you're right," he said quietly. "If he had the time to do one, why not the other?"

"Don't worry about it yet," Ron said quietly. "My dad, Marzia, Sirius and more ministry members than Thurston realizes are working to help clear Dumbledore's name. We'll figure this out."

Harry looked at his friend for a long moment before nodding faintly.

"I hope you're right."

Harry decided to try to take Ron's advice, and not worry about the lack of evidence they had to help them clear Dumbledore's name. As the week went by, he put his mind into the lessons for class, and looking after the students. When the weekend arrived, however, he found he was far more excited about the dance than he thought he would be.

As Saturday evening drew nearer, Harry hurried to finish getting ready. He was going to pick up Mel at the floo station in Hogsmeade and they would return to the school from there. He wanted to do it properly and meet her at her house, but she wouldn't hear of it.

"It'll only be a few minutes," Harry had tried to tell her midway through the week.

"Maybe that's all the Shadow Walkers need," Mel stated matter-of-factly. "Dumbledore and Marzia specifically told you they would find you much easier in the muggle world, and I'm not going to let you chance it."

And that had been the end of that. So after changing into his black dress robes and passing on the usual attempt to straighten out his hair, Harry grabbed his Moontrimmer and headed downstairs.

He flew the short distance to Hogsmeade, landing easily and starting towards the floo station. Once inside, he moved away from the flow of traffic, so as not to get in the way of anyone trying to get to a grate, and waited. He had debated with himself exactly how early he should arrive, and finally decided on five minutes before Mel had promised to arrive, as surely on the slim chance she got there early, it would be no more than that.

As he'd expected, however, she was nowhere to be seen, and Harry could only stand back and wait.

Five, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes later and still no sign of her. Despite knowing this was nothing out of the ordinary when it came to Mel, Harry couldn't stop the worrisome thoughts from filling his head. Everything from her hurting herself to someone attacking her was running through his mind, and he was just beginning to consider the idea of just going to her house, when finally she appeared.

She stepped out of the floo grate and into the bright lights of the station, spotting Harry at once and smiling brilliantly. For a moment, all he could do was return the gesture, perfectly content with just taking her in. She always looked…incomparable to anyone else on special occasions, and this was no exception. She'd done her hair up in the way he once told her was his favorite, with dozens of tiny braids weaved throughout, while the rest of it was left down. Only now she'd gone a step further; a few small sections of her straight locks had been made wavy, and there were streaks of pale lavender interspersed all through it. The color in her hair matched the color of her dress robes perfectly, and she wore a long white skirt that hung down to her ankles underneath.

"Sorry, I know, I know," she said as she finally reached the place where he stood waiting. "I'm late, and now you're late…we should go…is something wrong?" she asked suddenly, realizing he hadn't yet said anything.

"No," Harry replied at once, smiling sheepishly. "Everything's fine…you look wonderful."

"Thank you," Mel blushed.

"Though you know, I was getting ready to send the search party for you," he joked, decidedly not telling her what he'd really been ready to do.

"The longer you stand here yelling at me the later we're going to be," Mel teased.

"I'm not yelling," Harry said, rolling his eyes playfully as she slipped his hand into his and they headed for the exit. They walked quickly back up the street together, getting smiles and nods from everyone who passed.

"So this is what all the attention feels like," Mel grinned when they finally reached the clearing. "Why don't you like it, again?"

"You have no idea," Harry laughed as he kept the broom low so she could get on easily. "Though I think you have to dress like that more often, and walk everywhere with me…it'll guarantee no one is looking my direction."

Mel ducked her head modestly, a small grin on her lips as Harry lifted them into the air, and started on their way back to the school.

After making it to the great hall and apologizing for being late, Harry and Mel spoke briefly with the other teachers who would also be keeping watch at the dance.

The students began to arrive little by little, until the hall was filled with laughter and chatter. Everyone had dressed up, some of the girls obviously trying to outdo one another, but overall it seemed everyone was having fun.

Dinner was to be served first, as usual. Harry and Mel made their way up to the head table after making sure all the students had gotten a space at a table, and took seats near the end.

"Wow, I feel so…odd, sitting up here," Mel laughed quietly, looking out over the great hall.

"I know it," Harry grinned. "I couldn't get used to it at first…it took a while," he said, glancing down at the menu between them.

"Salad, I'm assuming?" Harry asked jokingly.

"I don't know," Mel said uncertainly. "I don't think I'm really in the mood for it…"

"Not in the mood?" Harry asked, somewhat surprised. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I don't live off of salad, you know," Mel laughed, elbowing him playfully.

"Yeah, but it's a rare occasion when you don't order it for dinner," Harry said, smirking.

"Will you just pick your own dinner and stop worrying about mine," Mel said, feigning exasperation.

"Fine, fine," Harry laughed, watching as she reached for her glass of water and downed nearly all of it before setting it down and letting it refill.

"Thirsty?" Harry asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Very," Mel replied noncommittally.

Twenty minutes and two glasses of water later, they finally gave their orders. Harry went for the steak, and grinned as he heard Mel order a plain turkey sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup.

"Soup and sandwich?" he asked. "Is that even on the menu?"

"Listen to you with all the questions tonight," she teased.

"Sorry," he grinned, his tone only slightly defensive. "Just unlike you is all…are you mad at me for being curious?"

"Not at all," Mel grinned, reaching again for her water glass. She set it down quickly this time, however, and pushed her seat back from the table. "Excuse me for just a minute," she whispered, smiling politely. "I need to use the ladies' room."

"Not surprising," Harry laughed to himself as he watched Mel exit through the door behind the head table. However, part of him was concerned over her seemingly new habits. He hoped she wasn't ill, though to be honest she didn't look it. Her hair was silkier looking than he'd ever seen it, and her skin had a very healthy glow. But he didn't know what else could be causing it.

When she returned a few moments later, their meals materialized onto the table in front of them.

"Feeling alright?" Harry asked as she opened her napkin.

"Harry, I'm fine," Mel laughed. "Stop worrying so much…oh this smells so good…" she trailed off, looking hungrily at the bowl of soup.

Harry chuckled silently, somewhat amused by her behavior, and started in on his own dinner. He watched curiously when she got to her sandwich though, as she pulled off the meat and rolled it up, eating it separately, before ripping the bread into shreds, and nibbling at the tiny bits of it.

He didn't say anything though, not wanting to sound like he was pestering her any further, and when dinner was finished the music started up at once.

"Are we allowed to dance?" Mel asked quietly.

"Some," Harry replied with a grin. "We just have to make sure we're still keeping an eye on things."

"Oh look, there's Ginny," Mel said suddenly, gesturing towards the youngest Weasley who had just stepped out onto the dance floor with another student. "She looks so pretty in blue, doesn't she?"

"She does," Harry agreed, beginning to stand from his chair. "Shall we then?" he asked, holding his hand out to her. She took it gently and the two began walking around the edge of the great hall, doing as the other chaperones were, making sure there were no disturbances.

After a brief while without any problems, Harry and Mel finally joined in on the dancing, breaking every so often if Mel needed a drink or had to run to the bathroom.

"Harry, Mel," Ginny called out happily, spotting the couple and coming up to them midway through the evening. "I've been trying to get over to you two all night…but keep getting sidetracked."

"Two many boys asking you to dance?" Harry asked, grinning.

"I wish," Ginny replied with a laugh, blushing slightly.

"Who are you here with?" Mel asked, smiling as she nodded towards the short light-haired boy Ginny had been dancing with. "I don't recognize him."

"Oh, just my friend Holden," Ginny said casually. "He's in Hufflepuff, and we thought it'd be fun to come together."

"Just don't let Ron see him," Harry joked.

"Oh don't even remind me," Ginny groaned, rolling her eyes. "He was so horrible to Elliot last year…"

"Concerned older brother that he is," Harry laughed.

"No, he really did go overboard, I remember," Mel smiled, continuing in a more hushed tone. "Excuse me…I'll be right back."

Ginny looked after her as she headed out the door yet again before turning to Harry, a curious expression on her face.

"Bathroom," Harry whispered, grinning as the next song started up. "Want to dance?" he asked, offering his arm. Ginny's smile couldn't have been any wider as she nodded happily, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor. He spun her around to the beat of the music, the two of them just having a good time. As the song reached its end, however, Ginny's smile faltered.

"Um…Professor Ryan's here," she said quietly.

"Fantastic," Harry muttered, hoping he could avoid speaking to him.

"It looks like he's bothering Mel," she said, nodding behind Harry, uncertainly. He turned quickly to see Mel standing by the doorway near the head table, and Troy right in front of her, holding one of her arms so she couldn't walk away.

"Ginny, I'm sorry, please excuse me," Harry said quickly, before starting immediately on his way across the room.


	11. Chapter 11

"That's none of your business," Mel said, staring darkly at Troy as Harry finally reached the two of them.

"Ah, look who it is," Troy smirked, releasing Mel's arm.

"What's going on?" Harry asked stiffly, stepping to Mel's side protectively and glaring at the transfiguration professor.

"I was simply asking a lady to dance," Troy replied, a thin smile on his lips.

"And I was saying no," Mel replied, slipping her arm through Harry's. "C'mon, let's just go, alright?" she said quietly, seeing the determined look in his eyes. But Harry didn't move.

"Haven't you learned by now," Troy began tauntingly, his gaze locked with Harry's, "that you shouldn't keep secrets?"

"What are you on about?" Harry asked, curtly, his eyes flashing. "We barely speak to one another and you've somehow come to the conclusion that I'm keeping secrets?"

"Well you are, aren't you?" Troy asked, his voice dead even. Harry could only stare back at him; honestly having no idea what Troy was getting at. Mel was squeezing his arm now, obviously just wanting to go.

"Stay away from her," Harry said threateningly, and meaning every last syllable of it. He had no idea what the transfiguration professor thought he knew, or what he wanted with Mel, but Harry didn't want him anywhere near her…ever again.

"Whatever you say professor," Troy laughed tauntingly, before deliberately turning away and exiting through the door.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked immediately, turning to face Mel, his eyes searching hers.

"I'm fine," she replied quietly, a small shake in her voice. "He just freaked me out a little…"

"What did he want?" Harry asked, the anger he'd felt towards Troy still simmering within him. "What did he say to you?"

Mel lowered her gaze to the floor, remaining silent for a long moment before finally meeting his eyes once again.

"Harry…there's something we need to talk about," she began, her voice sounding small and unsure. "Something I have to tell you…"

"Anything," Harry replied quickly, hearing the worry in her tone. "You know you can tell me anything…"

"Can we go someplace a bit more private?" Mel asked, hopefully. Harry glanced around quickly. He wasn't supposed to leave yet and didn't want to walk out on his duties…but the look in Mel's eyes told him this was important.

"We can go out to the garden," Harry said. "There might be students around, but we can sit on a bench and speak privately."

Mel nodded faintly, keeping her arm locked through his as he led her back through the great hall and out into the crisp night air. It was a little chilly, but not as bad as it could be for the end of February. The two made their way down the small path and into the clearing, choosing the bench furthest away and lowering themselves onto it.

"What is it Mel?" Harry asked gently, genuine concern in his voice. They had been having such a wonderful evening, and now she looked a bit pale…like she might be ill. "Tell me what's wrong," he prompted softly.

"It's not so much that anything's wrong," Mel began slowly, having a hard time meeting his eyes. "It's just that this is really…important…" she said hesitantly.

"Mel, whatever it is you can tell me," Harry said, trying to sound reassuring despite the underlying worry he was feeling over the way she was acting. "Whatever it is…if you need my help…if there's a problem…"

"No, nothing like that," Mel cut in quickly. "It's just…well…there's no easy way to say this…" she trailed off, wringing her hands nervously before balling them into fists. Harry finally reached down, taking both of her hands in one of his. He raised his other hand to her chin and softly turned her face so their eyes met.

"Tell me," he whispered tenderly.

Mel gazed longingly back at him, and he hated to see that she looked almost afraid. He never wanted her to be afraid of him…and would do anything she asked of him.

"Harry…" she began, her voice barely audible. "I…I'm…"

He held his tongue, not wanting to pressure her but unable to remember a time when he'd felt more anxious.

"I'm pregnant."

Silence. Mel held Harry's gaze, her hands trembling as she waited for his reply.

"W-what?" was all Harry could manage to get out, too stunned to form any other words.

"I'm pregnant," Mel repeated, apprehensively. Again there was only silence and she sighed mournfully. "Please say something?" she pleaded.

"I…I j-just…wh-" Harry stammered, forgetting temporarily how to speak. "How?" he managed to get out finally.

Mel looked at him wide-eyed for a brief moment, before letting out a high-pitched laugh that sounded anything but amused.

"If I need to answer that for you…"

"Are…are you alright?" he tried again.

"Harry stop," Mel said seriously, needing him to do this for her. "I've just told you I'm pregnant…with your child…I need to know what you think of that…"

Harry nodded, trying madly to collect his thoughts that were spinning wildly out of control. Mel was pregnant and he was the father, nothing in the world could have prepared him for what he was feeling right now…and he had the feeling his shock wasn't helping to comfort Mel in any way. He finally forced himself to at least appear calm as he cleared his throat and looked into her eyes.

"Are you going to keep it?" he asked, hoping this was a reasonable question.

Mel looked down at her hands sadly.

"Are you saying you don't want me to?" she asked shakily.

"No, no, no!" Harry said quickly, cringing at the carelessness of his question. "I was asking if that's what you wanted to do, nothing more."

"What do you want me to do?" Mel asked quietly.

"I want you to do whatever you feel is right," Harry answered quickly.

Mel nodded faintly, dismally.

"That's it?" she asked.

Harry looked back at her, looked deeply into her bright blue eyes that shone so clearly even in the dim lighting surrounding them, and realized that wasn't it. He could feel something inside him, something he'd never felt before. He was going to be a father, he would raise a child, watch it grow, teach it how to walk, to talk…he would be responsible for a small tiny life that would inherently trust him…who would call him dad…dad. These thoughts filled him with such fear and uncertainty…and at the same time it was the most wonderful feeling he'd ever experienced in all of his life. He looked into Mel's eyes, a large smile spreading instinctively across his face, one he couldn't have hid if he wanted to.

"I want you to have it…him, or her, I want you to have our baby," he said, feeling the excitement and anxiety churning within him…and somehow loving it. "If that's what you want too," he paused for the briefest of seconds before continuing on, nervously. "I love you Mel."

Mel stared up at him as he spoke, tears filling up in her eyes, and when he finished she couldn't hold them in any longer. She sobbed happily, throwing her arms around his neck, letting him hold her.

"I love you too," she managed to get out between choked sobs. The two sat there in each other's arms, in a world apart from everyone else. Harry could think of a million things they needed to talk about, but for the moment, he was content to just be with Mel, to hold her, and let her know he's always be there for her…and their child.

"How long have you known?" Harry asked, finally breaking the silence, looking down as Mel tilted her head up towards him.

"Almost a month," she said apologetically. "I'm sorry…I was going to tell you sooner…but we were so busy with the Polyjuice Potion and I didn't think you needed the added stress…"

"I'm not upset with you," Harry cut in gently, seeing the worry in her eyes. "I just hope you know that you don't have to be afraid to tell me anything…no matter what it is."

"I know," Mel nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I shouldn't have been so worried."

"Enjoying your evening, Mr. Potter?"

Harry and Mel looked up at once to see Professor Sprout standing a short distance away, a wry smile on her face.

"Sorry," Harry said quickly, realizing he'd been completely ignoring what he was supposed to be doing…not that there hadn't been a good reason for it, but no one else knew that yet. "I'm coming."

Professor Sprout nodded pleasantly, before heading back towards the door that led inside, while Harry turned his gaze back to face Mel.

"There's a lot we need to talk about," he began seriously, "And I would rather not put it off any longer than we have to…"

"I agree," Mel nodded, squeezing his hand in hers.

"I want you to stay tonight," Harry continued, softly. "Will you stay tonight?"

Mel nodded again, smiling; the happiness he could see in her eyes mirrored what he was feeling inside. Several minutes later, when they were once again in the great hall, Ginny immediately came rushing up to them.

"Is everything alright?" she asked worriedly.

"Everything's definitely alright," Harry replied smiling, earning him a confused stare from Ginny.

"So…then…you guys didn't leave because of Professor Ryan?" she asked, uncertainly.

Harry began to reply, but stopped, realizing that was why they'd left…or at least that's what he'd thought, at first.

"Let's not talk about him right now," Mel said, and while it wasn't visible, Harry felt a shiver run through her as he had one arm around her waist.

"Go on Ginny, enjoy the rest of the dance," Harry smiled at her. "Don't worry about us."

Ginny looked at him for a moment, catching the hint in his tone and nodded. Wishing them both a good night, she started back across the room towards her friends.

"You never told me what Troy said to you before," Harry said quietly, pulling Mel gently away from the nearest group of students to try to remain out of earshot.

"It's not important," Mel said, trying to brush it off, but Harry wasn't fooled.

"Whatever it was that he said, it bothered you," Harry said simply. "It still is bothering you."

"He's said things that have bothered you before too," Mel countered.

"And I've told you about them," Harry said gently. "Please…tell me what he said."

Mel shook her head and sighed heavily.

"He…he wasn't making any sense," she began quietly, suddenly looking frustrated. "I don't even know why it bothered me really…" she trailed off, unconvincingly. Harry waited patiently before she began again. "I was on my way back inside…I saw you and Ginny nearly at the end of your dance, when Troy came up beside me. He asked if I wanted to dance, I said no; I started to walk away…and he grabbed my arm…"

"And?" Harry prompted after a moment, feeling a quiet anger within him.

"He said…Did you tell him?" she said quietly. "I asked him what he was talking about…and he looked down…" she said with a shudder, her hand instinctively raising to her small stomach. "Then he said You and he should really have a talk…I told him it was none of his business…" she trailed off for a moment. "That's when you showed up."

Harry could feel his jaw dropping, but clamped it shut quickly. From what Mel had just told him…it sounded like Troy knew…he knew about her pregnancy…but how?

"Mel…have you told anyone else?" Harry asked, dimly hoping there was a chance Troy might have overheard her. "I mean, you know…that you're…?"

"No one," Mel said firmly, shaking her head slowly.

"Then how would he know?" Harry asked in frustration. "How could he know?"

Mel shook her head quietly. Harry couldn't understand it…Mel had been right, it didn't make sense. Unless Troy had perhaps noticed Mel's strange behavior? But he wouldn't have known what she usually ordered for dinner…and a few trips to the ladies' room wasn't exactly irrefutable evidence of being pregnant, so it would be an enormous assumption on Troy's part if that were all. Aside from that, where did he get off treating Mel the way he did? How was it any of Troy's business if Harry and Mel talked or not? Why did he care? Harry could feel the anger building with each passing thought, being brought back to the present by a soft tugging on his arm.

"It's over," Mel was saying, gesturing around the hall as the students were beginning to disperse. Harry nodded stiffly, still irritated over Troy, but relaxing a bit as he felt Mel bring her hand up to his face. She waited until his eyes were locked with hers before speaking again.

"I know you're upset…I am too," she said quietly. "But please, for the rest of tonight at least, can we not bring this up again?"

Harry looked at her for a long moment, before finally giving in, and smiling warmly as he nodded. He wasn't going to forget about this, not even for a second, but tonight…they had much more important matters to discuss.

Just over an hour later, Harry and Mel had finished helping to return the great hall to its normal state, and had made their way up to Harry's quarters. As Mel had not originally planned on staying, Harry gave her a t-shirt and the smallest pair of sweatpants he could find…smiling as he watched her trying to pull the drawstring just enough so they wouldn't fall down.

"I could try to find something else," Harry laughed as Mel finally gave up and plopped down on the large bed with a lopsided grin. Though personally, he thought she looked incredibly cute, swimming in his clothes.

"How?" Mel smiled, twisting her hair, braids and all, into a messy bun. "By asking Ginny if you could borrow something? She'd want to know what for…well, I hope she'd want to know what for…" she trailed off, teasingly.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked in mock seriousness, as he sat in front of her on the bed; they were both facing each other, sitting cross-legged, and very relaxed.

"Nothing," Mel said cheerfully, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. Her smile remained, but the change in her demeanor was instantly noticeable. "Alright," she began, sounding a little uncertain. "How are we going to do this? I think we need to tell everyone…your family and mine…"

"Who should we tell first?" Harry asked, becoming slightly nervous at the mention of Mel's family…as of yet, he'd never met her parents…

"I don't know," Mel said. "Should we do it separately?"

"That might be best," Harry said slowly. "So your father doesn't kill me or anything…"

"He won't kill you," Mel said rolling her eyes. "Not if my mother has any say in the matter…trust me."

Harry looked at her curiously, wondering what that meant, when she continued quickly.

"Look it'll just be best if I speak with them first…and then I introduce you."

"Whatever you think," Harry nodded, really not able to say anything on the matter. She would know better than he, after all. "Do you want to be there when I talk to Sirius and Marzia?"

A flicker of nervousness washed over Mel's face and she rocked back and forth where she sat, ever so faintly.

"Do you want me to come?"

"If you don't want to it's alright," Harry began.

"No, okay…I shouldn't make you do it alone…I'll come," Mel said, smiling reassuringly.

"But you're speaking with your parents alone…"

"Because you haven't met them yet," Mel said. "It'll be easier on them this way, believe me. They'll want to meet you soon enough…"

Harry grinned, hoping that was a good thing, before continuing.

"Now, what about you? What do we need to do from here? Who do we talk to?"

"Well I've already been to see the doctor a couple times now…he's been going over everything…telling me what I should be ready to expect…when certain changes might happen…right now the baby is due on October 1st."

"And when do you go back? Can I talk to him too?" Harry asked, realizing how utterly clueless he was in this situation.

"Yes," Mel laughed. "Yes…the father is allowed to come, you can talk to him next time I go."

"Should you have someone with you now?" Harry asked. "At your house I mean…won't you need help as you…as you start to, um…" he stammered, unsure how to word what he wanted to say.

"Start showing?" Mel suggested, laughing.

"Yes," Harry grinned, but remained serious. "I don't like the idea of you being alone like this…"

"Harry, I'm not incapable…" Mel began.

"Wait, hear me out," Harry said quickly. "I've never lived with anyone who was pregnant, but I do remember seeing them sometimes…on the rare occasions I was out with the Dursleys. I'm not saying you become incapable of doing things on your own…but you'll need help with things you normally wouldn't. And I know you're not supposed to put much strain on yourself…plus you have to make sure you're eating right…" he trailed off, seeing the partially amused look on her face.

"Harry," she began. "Right now my choices are live at home…or live with my parents. I refuse to move in with them, I'll tell you that right now. I wouldn't even be considering speaking with them at the moment if the situation weren't the way it is…it's only because I'd feel horrible if I kept this a secret from them and they found out through someone else."

Harry nodded, not liking either choice at all, and knowing, despite the fact that she'd so far neglected to mention it, that Mel's decision was being made because of Jack. She was still angry with her parents over how they'd acted, and Harry could completely understand that, but the fact was Mel shouldn't be left alone, especially when it became closer to when she was due.

"If you stay at your house…in the muggle world…how can I get to you if you need anything?" Harry asked, voicing his fears. "At least at your parents' house there'd be…"

"Harry no," Mel said, shaking her head firmly. "That's not an option."

"Mel, just listen…" he began, trailing off as she set her jaw stubbornly, glaring at him while crossing her arms over her chest. He had to make her understand that he needed to be able to get to her…and if it came down to it, he wouldn't think twice about going into the muggle world if she needed him. He loved her too much to risk anything happening.

"I have to ask you something," he said quietly, coming to what would more than likely sound like a sudden decision, but it was, in fact, something that had crossed his mind in the past. Over the course of this evening, it had been pressing at him ever so much harder, however, flittering around in his head, pushing all other thoughts out of its way, and he knew it was right.

"What is it?" she asked softly, noticing him grow quiet and even paling a little.

Harry reached forward, taking one of her hands, running his fingers over her soft skin. He'd never imagined it like this…sitting across from each other on his bed, wearing nightclothes…nevertheless, this was how it was.

"I want us to raise this child together," he began, looking into her endless blue eyes. "I want to be a family, and I believe you want that as well…" he trailed off, glad to see her nod tenderly. "I'm scared," he said quietly. "But I think we can do it…and I want to do it properly," he paused, taking a deep breath. He raised her hand to his lips, kissing it softly, before lowering it again, and simply letting the words come.

"Mel…will you marry me?" he asked softly, watching as her eyes grew wide…beginning to tear. He honestly couldn't tell for the briefest of moments, and a cold dread began to settle in his stomach as he prepared himself for the rejection, when she nodded slowly.

"Yes," she whispered shakily, staring at him in elated disbelief, and smiling brilliantly as tears streaked her face.

"I don't have a ring…" he began.

"I don't care!" Mel laughed, happily, leaning forward and throwing her arms around him, showering his face and neck with kisses, before their lips finally met.

"Maybe we should tell Ron and Hermione first," Harry breathed a few moments later, the two now lying next to one another, in each other's arms. "Kind of like a practice run…" he joked.

"Maybe," Mel sighed contentedly, still too happy to say anything else. Harry felt such a longing in his heart when he looked at her, unable to believe all that had changed in so short a time. This woman, who he adored and respected, this beautiful woman had just agreed to marry him…to spend the rest of their lives together…and during that time they would raise their child. A son or daughter who they would love with all their hearts, and who they would get to watch learn and grow.

His thoughts were interrupted as Mel attempted to stifle a yawn, and grinned up at him from where her head rested against his shoulder, sheepishly.

"I guess we should talk about the rest tomorrow," He smiled, feeling the contagiousness of her yawn filling him. She nodded tiredly, letting him easily slip the covers around them, before the lights dimmed, and they were surrounded in perfect darkness.

Over the course of the next month, things seemed to fly by so quickly for Harry that it felt like he was merely allowing the whirlwind to pull him along. Though there were several occasions in which time came to a grinding halt for him, the first of which came the Sunday immediately following the ball.

Harry had woken up to the sound of wings, and opened his eyes just in time to see a tawny owl drop a small rolled parchment onto his bed, before it turned and fluttered out the window.

He reached for it slowly, trying not to disturb Mel who was lying peacefully beside him, and opened it quietly.

Scanning the words quickly, he half-smiled as he read the contents of the letter, before placing it on the table beside the bed.

"Good news?" Mel's tired voice floated up to him, and he glanced down to see her smiling lazily at him.

"Good morning," he smiled quietly, leaning down and kissing her softly. For the briefest of moments, the thrill of everything that had happened last night rushed back at him, and he was consumed with it all. Part of him still couldn't believe he was going to be a father…and a husband …and he couldn't find the words to express how happy these thoughts made him. He merely grinned contentedly as he sat back up, his insides brimming with excitement which was slowly calming down. "And yes…Sirius and Marzia asked if I would join them for dinner tonight."

"How nice," Mel said slowly, raising her arms over her head in a great stretch, before finally pushing herself up to a sitting position.

"What do you think?" Harry asked, picking up the letter once more so she could see. "Should we tell them tonight?"

"I…I suppose…if you want to…" Mel said, seeming uncertain. Harry smiled reassuringly, reaching down and giving her hand a squeeze.

"The longer we wait…" he began.

"I know," Mel laughed quietly. "The harder it will be."

"I'm nervous too, Mel," Harry admitted quietly. "But we have to tell them."

"No, I know," Mel nodded faintly, before gesturing towards the letter. "They were asking you to come though…not me…I don't want to show up uninvited…"

"Then I'll write back," Harry said immediately, sliding to the edge of the bed and standing quickly. He always kept some spare parchment in his room, and quickly pulled it out of his bureau now. "I'll just say you and I had planned on having dinner together tonight, and would they mind if I brought you as well," he explained; already busy scrawling the words.

"I don't want to impose though," Mel began, "what if they wanted to just spend time with you? You hardly get to see them anymore."

"Mel, don't worry," Harry grinned, finishing the letter and rolling it up hastily. He crossed to where Hedwig was perched nearer to the window, chittering away to herself, and stroked her feathers softly. She returned the gesture with an affectionate nipping to his fingers, and allowed him to tie the letter to her leg.

"I'm simply telling them we already had plans, and would love to change them so we could have dinner together…no imposing at all," Harry explained after Hedwig had started on her way.

"No, just lying," Mel smirked as Harry once again sat beside her.

"Well we were planning on spending some time together at least," Harry said innocently, continuing in a more serious tone. "We still have things to talk about."

Mel nodded, reaching out and taking his hands in hers again, slipping her fingers through his.

"I know you don't want me to stay at home," she began softly. "And I can honestly say I don't like the idea of being there when you can't even visit…"

"Mel, we'll find someplace else for you to stay," Harry began quickly.

"Where?" she asked skeptically. "Because I'm not going to just ask around…to just assume someone would want to…"

"I'm not asking you to do that," Harry said quietly, not wanting her to get upset over it. "Let me worry about it for now, alright?" he said after a moment.

"Harry…" she began, a hint of warning in her tone.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to go around begging anyone for favors or anything," he said quickly, grinning mischievously. "I wouldn't dream of embarrassing you like that…"

"Smart of you," she grinned, and he laughed.

They continued the discussion for a long while, realizing they had so many decisions to make, choices to consider, and that they couldn't make them all right away. They decided for now, to concentrate on the task of making the announcement…a truly nerve-wracking thought to be sure, and would go from there. The anxiety of what everyone's reaction was going to be was their biggest concern of the moment, and they agreed the sooner it was past, the better.

Several hours later, Harry and Mel were on their way to Sirius and Marzia's house. Mel had gone home in the late afternoon, and both of them met up again in Hogsmeade, before apparating to the small house.

Sirius and Marzia had of course been more than happy to have Mel over as well, and welcomed both she and Harry happily when they arrived. The four of them spoke for a short while, telling one another what had been going on over the past month. Both Sirius and Marzia had been at the ministry as often as possible, helping Arthur with anything he needed.

Harry and Mel talked mostly about their jobs, careful to stay far away from any mention of the Polyjuice Potion or Nabakza. No need to upset Sirius and Marzia with news of something that could no longer be changed.

They talked through dinner; everyone simply enjoying one another's company, feeling relaxed despite all the chaos going on in the world around them. It was a well-needed rest, which was about to come to a halt.

As they made their way back into the den after supper, Sirius and Marzia took seats on one couch, and Harry and Mel on the one across from them. Harry finally felt the anxiety that had been tickling the edges of his stomach decide to force its way in. He glanced sideways at Mel, to see she was feeling the same, but they both looked up as Sirius cleared his throat.

"There's something I…we," he paused, smiling over at Marzia, taking one of her hands in his as she gazed back at him lovingly, "want to tell you."

Harry could feel his throat tighten. He knew what was coming next…he knew because this was how he'd seen himself beginning the discussion…but Sirius had beaten him to it, and now all he could do was smile and pretend he wasn't feeling his stomach performing somersaults within him.

"It's something very special," he continued, his eyes alight with joy, "and we wanted to share this with you before anyone else."

Harry nodded in a way he hoped didn't come across as too eager, waiting.

Sirius paused a moment more, glancing at Marzia, nodding for her to continue. She looked across at Harry and Mel, smiling widely.

"I'm pregnant," she said quietly, grinning from ear to ear.

For a moment, Harry simply couldn't speak. What could he say? What should he say? He tried to force himself to do something…anything…when he heard Mel speak first.

"That's…that's so wonderful!" Mel managed to get out, a large smile spreading across her face. "Congratulations!" she said, standing from her seat and crossing to give Marzia a hug.

Harry stood as well, going to Sirius first. Of course he was happy for them…the news couldn't be any better, but having planned on giving his own announcement, this new development had just made the situation somewhat awkward.

After much hugging, hand shaking and congratulations, things settled down again in the cozy living room area. Harry didn't know what to do now. He listened as Sirius and Marzia talked about little things, changes and such that they were going to have to make around the house…as it was certainly not ready for a newborn. But he could feel the opportunity to tell them slowly passing, and it was only making him increasingly anxious…an emotion which must've come across on his face, as he heard Marzia address him.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked, honestly concerned. "You've seemed a bit…preoccupied, for a while now. Are you upset with us?"

"Upset?" he asked, truly taken aback. "No, no of course not…why would I be upset?"

Marzia glanced towards Sirius solemnly then back again.

"I know that Sirius isn't your father, but he's the closest thing you've ever had to one…" she began.

"Oh," Harry said, the realization of what she was saying suddenly dawning on him. "Oh Marzia no, of course I'm not upset about that," he assured her, smiling.

"You know I would never ignore you…and I'll always be there for anything you need," Sirius said quickly.

"I know that Sirius," Harry nodded, smiling thankfully. "The thought never crossed my mind for a second…honestly."

Both Sirius and Marzia looked relieved upon hearing this, smiling at one another before looking back to Harry and Mel.

"Are you sure everything's alright then?" Marzia asked gently. "You really did seem…troubled…for a few moments…"

Harry and Mel were silent. They glanced sideways at one another, uncertainty in their eyes, and that clinched it.

"Okay," Sirius said at once, a mixture of concern and apprehension in his voice. "What's happened? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Harry said immediately, seeing his godfather well on his way to overreacting.

"Then why do I feel like something is?" Sirius countered quickly. "You both look nervous…"

"If something's bothering either of you, you know you can tell us anything," Marzia cut in, quietly.

Harry half smiled, hearing himself telling Mel that exact same thing just last night.

"We know," Harry said, glancing to Mel who was nodding faintly before she turned her eyes to him. They had to do it; it was now or never.

"There is something we have to tell you, actually," Harry began slowly, keeping his voice exceptionally steady despite the anxiety running through him. Sirius and Marzia remained silent, waiting for him to go on. He could feel their eyes on him as he thought of how he should say this, when Mel did it for him.

"I'm pregnant," she said so quietly Harry wondered for a brief moment if he'd imagined it. But the looks that quickly came over Sirius and Marzia's faces told him she had indeed spoken, and they'd heard loud and clear.

Harry felt a rush of relief at the news finally being out, but the silence that had settled over the room was not comforting in the least. He waited, barely breathing, as he watched the words Mel had spoken truly sink in for Sirius and Marzia, when slowly, his godfather stood up. He glanced down at Marzia briefly, then locked his eyes with Harry's.

"Come upstairs with me," he said quietly.

Harry nodded, his stomach feeling as if it were filled with led as he slowly rose out of his seat. He glanced down at Mel, who looked helplessly back at him, before turning and following his godfather up the staircase, and into Sirius' room.

"Are you mad?" Harry asked the moment the door was closed, feeling like a small boy whose father was about to punish him.

Sirius looked at him for a moment, and Harry could hardly believe it when a tiny smile appeared on his godfather's face.

"Sit down Harry," he said gently, pointing to the bed. Harry did as he was told while Sirius pulled a chair from across the room just beside him. He spun it around backwards before lowering himself onto it, facing his godson.

"When did you find out?" he asked seriously.

"Last night," Harry replied, "She's known for almost a month."

Sirius nodded thoughtfully before continuing.

"Do you realize what this means?" he asked. "What you need to do?"

"I need to do a lot of things," Harry replied, feeling almost overwhelmed with all the thoughts that began running through his mind once again. There was just so much. "Was there one thing in particular you were talking about?"

"Just wanting to make sure you realized," Sirius smirked. "It's an understatement just to call this a big responsibility Harry. If you and Mel decide to raise this child together…"

"We did decide," Harry cut in quickly. "I…I asked her to marry me Sirius," he said evenly.

Sirius was again silent, but never moving his gaze from Harry's, almost as if he were trying to read his thoughts.

"Is that what you want?" Sirius asked.

"I wouldn't have asked her if it wasn't," Harry replied defensively.

"I'm not trying to change your mind," Sirius explained evenly. "I'm asking these things so you can hear yourself…so you realize what you're saying. This is going to change your life…it already has, in fact. I want you to know…as much as one can know…what lies ahead, what you have to prepare for."

Harry looked at him for a long moment, taking in all he said, before nodding slowly.

"Yes…this is what I want," he answered at last, feeling a swell of emotion just thinking about it. "I love her, Sirius."

"Good," Sirius whispered softly, and Harry was startled to see tears in his godfather's eyes. He blinked them away quickly, however, clearing his throat as he stood up. Harry watched as Sirius crossed the room to a rather large mahogany armoire, and knelt down in front of it, opening the bottom drawer.

Sirius shuffled around through the contents, pulling several items out and placing them on the floor, to make his search easier, until finally, it seemed he'd found what he was looking for, and he stood up slowly.

"I know most of your things were sent to your relatives' house when you went to live with them," Sirius began as he came back towards where Harry was still sitting. "But there were a few things Dumbledore never gave them, wanting to hold onto until you were older. Last year, he gave them to me to hold…to wait for the right time."

Harry could only look up at him curiously, wondering what he had been looking for in the drawer…it must have belonged to his parents…but why wait until this moment to give it to him? Sirius answered Harry by grabbing one of his hands, and gently stuffing a small container into it.

Harry looked at the box; there was nothing special about it. It was small, grey, and looking quite tattered, but he carefully slipped the lid off anyway, and a smile began to creep its way across his face.

"Sirius," he began excitedly. "Is this…is this what I think it is?" he asked.

"Your mother's ring," Sirius replied, nodding faintly. "James gave that to Lily the day he asked her to be his wife. It's yours now…and if you want to, you can give it to Mel."

"Thank you," Harry said sincerely, his voice thick with emotion. He looked at the small ring in the box before him. It was so simple, but so beautiful; one delicate pear-shaped diamond sitting perfectly on a thin gold band.

"Thank you so much," he said as he stood, looking at his godfather in earnest. Sirius didn't hesitate, he clapped Harry once on the shoulder, before pulling him into a fatherly embrace, and Harry felt the last of the worry he'd been feeling finally fade away.

"You deserve this," Sirius whispered emotionally, holding his godson. Harry had never seen him like this before. "I want you to know that I couldn't possibly be any prouder of you…and that I'll always be here whenever you need me."

"I know you will Sirius," Harry replied, finally feeling his godfather's hold start to ease. Sirius stepped back slightly, holding his godson at arm's length and smiling proudly at him.

"Now, best not to keep the women waiting," he said with a wink.

"That I know," Harry replied grinning. His godfather laughed quietly, giving Harry a firm clap on his back, and the two of them left the room together, on their way back downstairs.

Marzia and Mel were now sitting next to one another, and Harry assumed they'd had a similar discussion to the one he and Sirius had just held. There was relief showing on both of their faces, as they turned and smiled at the men who'd just entered the room.

"Everything alright?" Harry asked, taking a deep breath and letting it out as he spoke.

"Everything's fine," Mel smiled as he crossed the room to her, sitting by her side. Sirius moved to Marzia's side, settling down beside her. As they talked, Harry felt the box with the ring pressing up against him through this pocket, and resisted the urge to simply give it to Mel now. He wanted to wait until everyone knew…

There was too much for them to go over just in one night, but Marzia was quick to realize exactly as Harry did, that Mel would need someone with her as it grew closer to the due date.

"I'll be fine…" Mel began to insist once again.

"Ah, you're the expert now, are you?" Marzia teased, seeing Mel shake her head and grin.

"Harry and I already discussed this," Mel started.

"But we didn't finish," Harry cut in, pointedly.

"I'm not staying with my parents," Mel said determinedly, lowering her voice as she turned to look at Harry.

Sirius and Marzia glanced sideways at one another, a full conversation passing between them in their gaze.

"You know," Sirius began, drawing their attention back to him. "You're always welcome to stay with us, Mel."

Harry's face immediately lit up as Mel shook her head fiercely.

"Oh no…I couldn't…"

"Mel!" Harry cried, not willing to let her turn this down.

"Harry, it's too much," Mel whispered. "Both Marzia and I in the same house…"

"So you're saying you think I can't handle it?" Sirius spoke up, arching one eyebrow teasingly.

"No, not at all!" Mel said immediately, a light blush coloring her cheeks. "I just don't want to impose…"

"Mel, sweetie, we're inviting you," Marzia smiled softly, taking one of the younger woman's hands in hers. "We want you to stay with us."

A small, uncertain smile touched Mel's lips, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Harry beaming back at her, nodding for her to accept the offer.

"Oh come on," Sirius spoke up, smirking. "It won't be that horrible living with us," he joked. "And it's only for seven or eight months…"

"I can't imagine it'd be horrible at all," Mel smiled finally. "If you're sure…"

"It's settled then," Marzia nodded, smiling brightly. "We'll get the room upstairs prepared for whenever you're ready."

Even though Sirius and Marzia had been happy for them, Harry could tell they were worried as well. They never came out and said they thought Harry and Mel were too young, but he believed the thought had probably crossed their minds more than once.

During the course of the week, Mel promised she would speak with her parents, and when the weekend arrived, it was finally time for Harry to meet them.

"Were they angry?" Harry asked as he and Mel arrived in residential London. Harry could tell just by looking at the houses around them, that Mel's parents weren't doing too badly for themselves.

"At first," Mel nodded. "But my mother warmed up to the news pretty quickly, and my father's say usually goes unheard from there on in."

"Oh," Harry replied as they began walking up a particularly long pathway to an enormously elegant house.

"You know, this probably isn't even necessary," Mel said, coming to a stop when they were nearly at the door. "I don't care what they think…I've made my decision…they know what it is…"

"Mel," Harry began.

"Not to mention I probably won't see them much from now on, if at all…" she continued over him.

"Mel, we have to do this," Harry said quietly. "Or at least I do. I wouldn't feel right avoiding this…"

"I know," Mel sighed dismally. "You're right."

Harry almost wanted to tell her they could go, to leave without another word, so he wouldn't have to see her look so miserable. But he couldn't. These were his child's grandparents, and he at least wanted to meet them once.

As they made it to the front door, Mel pushed it open sulkily, and stepped inside. Harry followed her into the pristine white hallway, finally getting to see the place in which Mel grew up.

"They're probably in the living room," Mel murmured, obviously not planning on staying very long as she started quickly off down the hall. Harry caught up, the familiar nervousness back in his stomach; following close behind Mel until she came to a large double doorway on the right and stepped through.

"Melanie, I didn't hear you come in!" a slender, older version of Mel cried happily, jumping up from her seat on a long, beige sofa.

"Hello mum," Mel said noncommittally, allowing her mother to hug her and kiss her cheeks.

"Harry," the woman said after releasing Mel, turning her brightest smile on. "Such a pleasure to meet you," she went on, extending her hand.

"I'm glad to finally meet you as well, Mrs. Tristen," Harry smiled back, taking her hand, feeling no less tense than he had when he'd arrived.

"Lydia, please."

"Lydia," Harry nodded, smiling nervously.

"This is my husband, Gage," Lydia continued, gesturing around to the opposite side of the room. Harry hadn't realized anyone else was there, but he now saw a tall, somewhat overweight, graying man standing near the window, his eyes fixed on something outside. Lydia smiled apologetically before addressing her husband, trying to hide her obvious irritation with him.

"Gage, will you come here and greet your daughter and her fiancé, please?" she asked in a way that made Harry believe an answer of no would be a very bad idea.

"When I was a young man," Gage started stiffly, "It was considered dishonorable to ask for a woman's hand in marriage without first requesting permission from her father."

Harry could feel his stomach twist, this wasn't going to go well…

"Dad!" Mel began, not hiding her exasperation.

"Gage will you hush?" Lydia interrupted irately, waving her arm as if his opinion meant nothing to her. Gage didn't reply, simply turned his gaze onto Harry, waiting.

"Don't pay attention to him," Mel whispered angrily. "He never asked my grandfather permission to marry my mum…he hated him, actually…and still does."

"I get the impression he hates me as well," Harry whispered back, not sure what to say to his future father-in-law.

"Well?" Gage prompted, eyeing Harry. "Are you going to say anything, or stand there looking dumb?"

"Stop it this instant!" Lydia hissed suddenly, and Harry had to force himself not to take a step back. There could have been steam coming out of her ears and it would have perfectly matched the expression that had suddenly formed on her face.

"If you'd just come out of your ridiculous fantasy world for one minute Lydia…"

"Listen to yourself," Lydia interrupted loudly. "You call me ridiculous? You won't even congratulate your only daughter on one of the most important days of her life!"

"You only consider it important because of him!" Gage countered maliciously, jerking a thumb at Harry. "If it were anyone else…"

"How dare you!" Lydia shouted, her face turning red.

"Don't give me that," Gage replied in annoyance, "you're excited because this is giving you all new bragging rights…nothing more."

"Thank you both," Mel said loudly before her mother could begin another counter-rant. "This has truly been exactly what I expected it to be, we'll just go now and leave you to it…"

Harry looked at her uncertainly as she motioned for him to follow, not wanting to leave it like this at all.

"Melanie Lenore you stop right there!" Lydia's voice rang out, appalled.

"I'm not going to stand here and listen to you two argue," Mel said angrily. "I had enough of it three days ago to last me forever."

"Your father's just upset," Lydia said, with an annoyingly fake laugh as if she hadn't just been screaming all of thirty seconds ago.

"Well he's also right," Mel shot back, her eyes watering as she narrowed them darkly. "I know you mother, always wanting the best of everything so you could boast about it to your little gossip group friends."

Lydia's jaw dropped in horror.

"You ungrateful little…"

"Call me whatever you want, it's the truth," Mel spat angrily. "Image is so important to you…too important. It's why you couldn't stand Jack, he was such a failure in your eyes…"

"Melanie that's not fair," Gage spoke up then, his voice very even.

"Not fair?" Mel repeated icily. "No, you're right…the truth isn't fair. But now my brother is dead because he felt so unwanted by the both of you that he wouldn't accept any help…and I notice neither of you tried very hard to talk him out of his decision. It was all he wanted; don't you know that? If you'd just tried to show him you cared…" she trailed off, choking on her words and beginning to sob. Harry could hardly stand seeing her this way, and held her close as she cried, getting ready to simply lead her out of the room.

"If you truly believe that…" Gage began stiffly.

"I do," Mel said, trying to hide the shaking in her voice. She looked up at Harry, pleadingly. "Can we just go, please?" she whispered. He nodded immediately, not caring if he ever spoke to either Lydia or Gage again at this moment.

"Oh so you think that's it then, do you?" Lydia snapped, viciously. "You think I only cared about who you were marrying and nothing more?" Mel didn't reply, and Harry began leading her towards the door. "I was going to support your choice!" Lydia called after them, desperation in her voice. "But now I see you really are still just a child…a weak little girl…" she trailed off.

Harry felt Mel tense at her mother's words, but didn't want to stop, they just needed to get out of there, when Gage called out to them.

"Just hear me out, both of you," he said as they turned to look at him. "Mel, sweetheart, your mother and I do love you. "We don't want to see you make a huge mistake…"

"I don't think I'm making one," Mel replied flatly, sniffling almost inaudibly.

"I know you think that," Gage replied gently. "But you're young…you don't know what you're getting into…"

"Neither did you!" Mel cried in exasperation. "I didn't come here to ask your permission for this. I'm doing this whether you like it or not…"

Gage remained silent for a moment before slowly beginning to speak.

"You won't make it through this on your own, you know that don't you?"

"Your support is touching," Mel whispered bitterly. "We're leaving."

"Wait!" Lydia cried before they could take a step. "We haven't finished talking…what about the baby?"

"Don't worry yourself over it," Mel said angrily. "I already have a place to stay…and afterwards Harry and I will find a place of our own."

"And when do we get to see this place?" Gage asked.

Mel shook her head, her red, puffy eyes narrowed.

"Goodbye mum…dad," she said stiffly.

"You won't shut us out of this child's life," Lydia said threateningly, as if her word was final. "If you try…I swear I'll seek custody."

Harry felt his stomach churn horrifically within him. Could she do that? Would it work?

"You wouldn't!" Mel cried, unable to disguise her grief over the statement, her hand raising protectively to her stomach.

"I bet it'll be easy as well," Lydia continued smugly. "With all the rumors of Harry Potter going insane a few years back…it's enough to create some sense of doubt that he'd make a stable parent…"

Mel's eyes filled with fresh tears as Harry felt the anger that had been filling up within him ready to overflow.

"You really are too young to raise a child," Gage spoke up, sounding as if he were agreeing with his wife. "It would be doing you both a favor."

"That's enough," Harry said finally, forcing himself to sound calm, despite the enraged feelings screaming to be let out. But both of the Tristens went silent, as Harry continued.

"I do apologize, to both of you, if I've upset you. I'd hoped you could forgive me, and see past that…see that I'm in love with your daughter, and that we're trying to start a life together. But instead you decide to yell and fight…and threaten to take away our child." He paused for a moment, looking from one to the other, before continuing.

"I never thought for a moment, in all that I've heard about you from Mel, that you could be so cold or cruel. I can't understand why you'd want to upset your daughter like that…"

"We don't want to upset her…" Gage began.

"Well you failed," Harry stated sharply. "We're going now, and if you feel that we can talk about this civilly, I'll be more than happy to return."

Without another word, Harry gently slipped an arm around Mel, and led her quickly from the room, his head spinning. Neither Lydia nor Gage tried to stop them. Even in his nightmares, Harry hadn't imagined the visit going so horribly.

"I'm so sorry Mel," Harry said as soon as they were outside. "I'm so sorry."

"No, it wasn't your fault…my mother never thinks before she speaks…"

"Will she really go through with it?" Harry asked, trying not to sound afraid. "Will they try to take our child?"

"I doubt it," Mel replied sadly. "It was more the fact that she would even consider using that threat that upset me…" she trailed off, tears again beginning to silently streak her face.

"And your dad?" Harry asked, pulling her closer to try to comfort her.

"Harry, you have to understand something about my parents," Mel began shakily. "My dad, I believe, cares about me…I think he cared about Jack too. But I don't think he knows how to show it…he's always been horribly bad at it. My mum, on the other hand, cares about herself first and foremost, everyone else comes third. If she's ever truly loved Jack or myself, I don't know…but all she cares about is how others see her. Now if she takes away my child, no one in the wizarding world will care. If she takes away Harry Potter's child…there's a good possibility of some backlash…"

"I'll never ask you to speak to them again…not if you don't want to," Harry said quietly. Mel didn't reply, she just slipped her arms around his middle, as they continued to walk down the street together.

For several days, the visit with Mel's parents continued to weigh heavily on Harry, and he wished there were something he could have done to change the way things turned out. They had decided it would be best not to mention the visit to anyone yet, and would only do so if the Tristens' tried to carry through on their threat. There were just too many things going on right now, and Harry didn't want to burden Sirius or Marzia with another worry… He spoke with Mel everyday, however, wanting to make sure she was okay, which she assured him she was. She was much more used to her parents' behavior than he, and while their words had still stung, they had to move on, and try not to think about it.

Neither of them had been contacted by Lydia or Gage since then, however, and as far as Harry was concerned, that was for the best.

It was the last week in March when Harry finally received another owl from Hadley's parents. He was in his office, speaking with Ron through the fireplace. He and Mel still had to tell Ron and Hermione their good news, and decided they wanted to do it all together. Ron told Harry to stop by at the practice stadium that weekend, obviously curious as to what Harry had to tell him, but not able to pry even a hint from him. As Ron's face was slowly fading from view, a snowy owl swooped in through the window and deposited a small rolled parchment on his desk, before perching on the edge and waiting, ruffling its feathers.

Harry quickly unfurled the letter, scanning the message once over. The Thurnes' could meet with him that Friday evening at the earliest, and requested he send a reply at once so they would know.

As he had no plans, Harry agreed, glad to finally be meeting with Hadley's parents. She hadn't been involved in any more arguments that he knew of since her fight with Samantha, though she'd been her normal, disruptive self in class, still trying to outdo everyone else. And while he was nervous about meeting with the Thurnes', he was anxious to finally speak with them. He hoped this meeting would help him to figure out the reasoning behind Hadley's behavior, or at least put him a bit closer to understanding it.

The Thurnes' arrived exactly when they'd said they would, and Harry met them at the main entrance. They introduced themselves as Mason and Ryana, and followed Harry through the halls up to his office.

"Thank you both for coming," Harry began after the three of them were seated around his desk. "I appreciate you taking the time."

Both Mason and Ryana nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Hadley is a very bright girl," Harry went on after another moment. "She seems to pick up easily on many things…"

"Yes, she's always been like that," Ryana smirked humorlessly.

"You didn't ask us to come so you could tell us how well she's doing, did you?" Mason asked, impatiently. "You could have simply included your feelings in your letter."

"N-no…" Harry replied uncertainly, taken aback by their reactions. "I just wanted you to know before I went on, that I do think she's quite smart…"

"No need to soften this up for us," Mason said quickly, a look of understanding on his face. "We're her parents, we know quite well what a handful she can be. Just tell us what she's done…"

"Well you see, I was hoping you might tell me more about her," Harry said.

"What, exactly, do you want to know about her?" Ryana asked. "And why?"

"To be honest, " Harry began, "Hadley has been involved in several arguments…with other students. Cases in which they are usually accusing her of spying or stealing…and most of the time, the other student is someone she doesn't seem to be quite fond of. She tends to take her anger out on them for either embarrassing her or doing better than her in class," he said, and went on to explain what had happened during the few incidents he had been present for. "So the purpose of my asking you to meet with me, is to ask if you might have any idea why she lashes out like this."

"Are you suggesting we've done something to our daughter to cause her to misbehave?" Ryana asked curtly.

"No," Harry replied at once, shocked that she would think that, "No I'm not blaming anyone…"

"It certainly sounds that way," Mason cut in. "We love our daughter very much, professor. To call us here and accuse us of bad upbringing…"

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Harry interrupted, wondering if he'd really explained the situation so badly that he'd sounded like he was accusing them. "I'm only asking if she acts like this at home as well, to see if there's a reason…"

"She doesn't," Ryana snapped. "Maybe you should place the blame on the school before you go looking for outside reasons. Isn't it possible that the other students with whom she was caught fighting could have purposely instigated the situation?"

"Mrs. Thurnes," Harry began, losing hope of saving this discussion with them. Either they didn't want to listen or they didn't care.

"Or maybe she simply doesn't feel safe," Mason said, icily. "We nearly pulled her out of the school after that horrible incident in October. Dementors near the school…our daughter was almost killed!"

"I'm very sorry about that…" Harry began, sincerely, feeling renewed guilt over the mention of the incident.

"Yes well so are we," Ryana said curtly. "If we'd been able to transfer her to another school we would have, but we didn't have the time and simply pulling her out was not an option as we have no one to look after her at home. Though it's highly unlikely we'll allow her to attend Hogwarts next year. The claims of safety and protection are obviously exaggerated."

"Now if you don't mind, professor," Mason began before Harry could utter one word in reply. "We are very busy and need to be on our way. Just do your job; make sure our daughter stays safe, and we won't have any problems."

Harry stood up quickly, but neither of the Thurnes' so much as spared him a second glance before they were through the door. Moving to the door and shutting it softly, Harry sighed in frustration. The Thurnes' did seem to love their daughter, but he got the impression they didn't have much time for her.

He slowly crossed back to his desk, when a faint movement caught his eye. He turned suddenly, to see the Bloody Baron float through the office from the back corner.

"Wait!" Harry called after him, seeing the ghost heading towards the door and wondering how long, exactly, he'd been there. The baron slowly turned his head, glaring over his shoulder at Harry.

"I'm sorry," Harry said quickly," I just wanted to ask if you've found it yet…whatever it is you're looking for…or…are you still looking even?" he asked, uncertainly, hoping to get some information out of the ghost.

The baron seemed as though he couldn't be bothered with this waste of his time, and began to turn away, when once again, Harry heard the sound of his dead voice.

"You shouldn't stay…"

"I'm not trying to get in your way," Harry interrupted at once, remembering the baron's warning from the last time they spoke. The ghost only shook his head faintly before speaking again, no emotion in his voice whatsoever.

"He's quite devious…you shouldn't stay where he can hear you…"

"He?" Harry asked, his eyes widening. "Who? Someone's here? Is he here now?"

But the baron made no reply, and had already made his way into the hall. Harry sprinted across the room after him, flying out into the corridor, only to find it silent…empty.

He cursed under his breath, tired of this game. If the baron knew of someone in the castle…someone who shouldn't be there…then he needed to tell one of the professors, and stop pretending he was on one of his hunts.

Glancing back into his office, Harry wondered if there was someone in there, hiding…listening…watching… He'd looked so many times, and the charm had been cast over his office to protect from just that, but did it work? Could there be a death eater lurking somewhere in the shadows? A shapeshifter? Who else would be spying on him? Or was he overreacting, and was the baron only trying to scare him away, so he could continue to hunt for whatever it was he was looking for?

Sighing inaudibly, Harry stepped in and once again searched the entire office, only to come up empty, as usual. Deciding to give up for tonight, he shut the door quietly behind him, and started up the hall towards his quarters.

"And you didn't tell anyone?" Hermione asked, her jaw dropping in horror.

"Hermione there was no one there!" Harry replied quickly. "What could anyone else have done?"

"How will you know if you don't ask?" Mel chimed in, concernedly. It was early Saturday afternoon, and the three of them were in Hermione's apartment, about to leave to meet Ron at the quidditch pitch after his practice.

"Because Minerva and Snape did what they could when we placed the charm on the office. She told me it would last well beyond the end of the school year, so if there's someone there then they already know how to get passed that. There's nothing else I can do except hope to catch him."

"Well it wouldn't hurt any to have someone with you, would it?" Hermione asked. "So that if someone else is there and you don't see them…"

"Aren't we supposed to be meeting Ron now?" Harry cut in, feigning impatience. Hermione smirked wryly.

"We're not done with this discussion, you know."

"Believe me I do," Harry agreed, teasingly, earning a swat on the arm.

"Alright, here's where we're going," Hermione said, turning towards a small map she'd laid out on the coffee table between them. "I suppose the best place to apparate would be the entryway, we can walk to the lockers from there."

"Not to be lazy," Mel smiled, "because I don't mind the walk…but wouldn't it be easier to just apparate straight to the locker room?"

"If there wasn't a barrier around it, sure," Hermione replied, grinning. "But apparently there have been attempts to cheat in the past, and so the locker rooms are protected, to prevent people from sneaking in."

"Oh that's lovely," Mel said, shaking her head knowingly. "Nothing like a fair game…"

"Not a bad idea though," Harry commented as the three of them stood up, thinking how he wouldn't have minded something like during his years on the school team.

After making sure they recognized the location on the map, the three friends disapparated, appearing seconds later at the edge of an extremely large stadium. Harry glanced around at the bleachers, the stands, the field itself, and felt a bit wistful. This could have been where he came to work every day…he had thought it was going to be…but sometimes things change.

There were a good number of people milling about, and it was obvious practice hadn't ended too long ago. Some of the players were on their way out of a large doorway to the right, and Hermione started off in that direction.

"He said we could meet him inside…he should be about ready by now anyway," she said, motioning for them to follow. The three walked down a long corridor, and Harry felt Mel slip her hand through his. He glanced down to find her smiling back at him, and squeezed her hand softly. He hoped Ron and Hermione would be happy for them…and while he was hiding it well, was definitely anxious about telling them the news.

As they turned down several hallways, they finally came to a clearing, along with row upon row of lockers.

"He's down this way," Hermione said, pointing to the left as they began to walk, only to hear Ron's voice call out half a second later.

"Hermione, is that you?"

A damp mop of red hair poked out of the third row down, and Ron's face smiled back at them.

"Finally!" he said, dramatically, his eyes meeting Harry's. "I've been dying to hear whatever it is you have to tell us!"

"Been dying to hear it, ey?" Harry asked teasingly as the three reached the aisle Ron was in, toweling off his hair messily and tossing the cloth to the ground.

"Well you wouldn't even give me a tiny little hint," Ron said sarcastically, emphasizing with his thumb and forefinger just how small tiny meant.

Harry could only laugh as Ron turned to greet Mel.

"So," Hermione began, finally letting the excitement she was feeling show through. She looked back and forth from Harry to Mel. "What is it you have to tell us?"

"Well," Mel started, smiling up at Harry as she once again clasped her hand in his. "We have a question for you both, actually."

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances of amusement and curiosity, before looking back to Mel and Harry.

"Okay," Ron replied, nodding for them to go on.

"Before we tell you," Harry said, smiling, despite himself, at how the waiting was tormenting his friends. "I just want you to know this is very important to us…"

"Then I'm sure it'll be important to us too," Hermione assured them, eagerly.

Harry and Mel glanced at each other, and she nodded up at him.

"Alright then," Harry began, taking a deep breath and not having to pretend he was nervous as he let it out. "What Mel and I would like to ask you is, would you be the godmother and godfather…for our child?"

Hermione gasped immediately, a flash of complete and total shock crossing her face, followed at once by a large smile as she clasped her hands together.

"Your…your child?" Ron asked in disbelief, staring at Harry with his mouth open. Harry nodded back faintly, waiting anxiously for another response, when Hermione at last regained her voice.

"That's so wonderful!" she cried finally, crossing to Mel and hugging her gently, before turning to Harry and throwing her arms around his neck. "Congratulations, this is just…fantastic! When is the baby due? How long have you known? Are you going to have help at your house?" she began shooting off questions as she turned back to Mel. As the two began to talk, Harry turned back to Ron.

The two looked at each other for a long moment, and Harry began to wonder if the news had upset Ron somehow, as his friend was for the most part remaining silent, but soon enough, Ron lifted his right hand and clapped Harry's arm firmly, before suddenly pulling him forward, in a brotherly embrace.

"Thank you," Harry whispered, feeling almost overcome by the sudden rush of emotion that had filled him, but held it in, except for the enormously relieved smile that had spread across his face.

"Congratulations Harry," Ron nodded, and Harry could see the same look in his eyes as well. Harry nodded, before speaking again, loudly enough so Hermione could hear as well.

"You haven't answered the question yet…"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other for the briefest of seconds before simultaneously beginning to nod and reply.

"Of course!"

"We'd love to!"

"It'd be an honor!"

"I still just can't believe this!" Hermione said shrilly, and asked Mel if she could see. Mel smiled, gladly pulling off the loose cloak she'd been wearing to show a slightly noticeable bulge poking out from under her shirt. Hermione squealed in excitement, spouting out several more questions, as Ron stood by and laughed his girlfriend.

Harry stood back and watched the exchange happily, still needing to tell them about the engagement…but at least the hard part was out of the way. He looked at Mel's smile, and his friends' sincerely happy faces, feeling all the love he felt for all of them just filling him at the moment. His gaze floated down to the small bump just below Mel's belly button, and his smile only grew bigger. She had just finished moving in with Sirius and Marzia, and Harry couldn't have been happier about it. He was glad she was someplace close, and someplace he could go without everyone panicking about him.

A slight movement to his right caused him to glance quickly in that direction, his thoughts flying out of his mind for the moment, but he found no one there. He shook his head, figuring he must've imagined it, when something else moved…this time on his left. He strained to see anything down the aisle…something that might've fallen, or someone's pet sneaking around…if one were so inclined to bring a pet to a quidditch locker room…but still, nothing.

"Ron?" he asked, glancing around uncertainly as he spoke. "Is there anyone else left down here with us?"

"No," Ron shook his head, turning to look at Harry. "Marcus left just before you all arrived…said I was the last one out and asked me if I'd lock up before leaving…why?"

Harry shook his head, opening his mouth to tell him it was nothing, when this time, he was positive he saw something move, back on his right side again, but couldn't focus quickly enough to see exactly what it was.

"Harry…what's wrong?" Mel asked, seeing the look on his face as he searched the aisle to his right.

Harry slowly tore his eyes away, feeling his heart beating in his chest, and turned to meet Mel's gaze, only to see her jaw dropping in horror. Hermione gasped fearfully from just behind her, and Ron's eyes went wide.

Half knowing what he was going to see, and half completely denying it, Harry whirled around, thrusting his hand into his pocket for his wand, and came face to face, with a shadow walker.

Harry instinctively stepped back, his breath catching in his throat as he forced the cold fear that had immediately crept in, away. But of course, there was more than just one Shadow Walker, and he moved directly into another standing just behind him. Turning quickly to look around, he saw he was surrounded, separated from his friends who were being held off to the side, struggling to get away.

"I told you we'd see each other again," the shadow he'd seen first spoke, and Harry recognized the voice he'd heard during his last encounter with the cult members. Harry stood where he was as the shadow stepped closer to him, the young man he'd seen beneath the darkness fading in and out of view, his eyes cold and furious.

"Leave him alone!" Mel shouted desperately. The lead Shadow Walker simply laughed with faint amusement, and shook his head slowly.

"How nice you've finally found some friends who care about you," he said tauntingly, "though after all of your lies, I imagine you've probably had them all along…"

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, keeping his voice calm and even. "What lies?"

"Enough with your games," the shadow spat angrily. "If I had my way you'd be dead where you're standing, but we must wait. Pollux wishes to speak with you…and you will return what you stole before we kill you…if you want your death to be quick."

"But I haven't stolen anything," Harry said quickly, gripping his wand tightly. They never mentioned that they thought he'd stolen anything last time. "If you would tell me what you're looking for…I'll do whatever I can to help you find it!"

The face under the shadow came into view for a brief second, and Harry felt his heart pounding in his chest at the loathing and disgust in the eyes staring back at him, when without warning, the Shadow Walker lashed out at him. Harry's head twisted painfully to his right as a powerful blow struck him on the side of his face. He nearly overbalanced from the unexpected hit, when he felt rough hands on his arms, jerking him upright as his friends' outraged cries filled his ears.

"I don't find your lies amusing," the shadow stated icily, ignoring the other three captives. "Stop behaving so cowardly, and face the consequences for your actions…so you might die like a man."

"I know you think I'm the one your after…but I swear I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said, tasting blood on his lips. He couldn't wipe it away, however, or straighten his glasses, which were about to fall off, as they were now holding him tightly. "I haven't stolen anything…"

"Fine," the shadow hissed darkly. "Continue with your spineless ways, your feeble excuses…you'll be dead soon, and before you die you'll want to tell us the truth, I promise you."

Harry felt a suffocating sense of helplessness closing in on him, realizing there was no escape this time. Even if he and his friends could use their wands it would do no good, not to mention the fact that they were greatly outnumbered.

"Let's go," the lead shadow said then, glancing at the others. "Pollux is waiting, and personally," he said, locking eyes with Harry. "I can't wait to get started."

"What about my friends?" Harry asked, feeling the ones holding him begin to pull him forward as he fought, in vain, against them.

"They shall be released as soon as you're through," the lead shadow replied offhandedly. "We have no use for them…and they won't be able to find you…so they're of little concern to us." He smiled then, thoroughly enjoying the fear Harry was trying to hide. "No one will be able to find you," he added, threateningly.

Suddenly, the still shadows cast against the far wall from the lockers and benches started to move. They pulled away from their designated places and swirled together, forming a large rectangle just before the lead Shadow Walker. A white light illuminated the border of the large shadow, and Harry knew at once, that it was a doorway.

"Stop! You can't do this!" Hermione shouted, pleadingly.

"He's never done anything to you!" Ron added, thrashing against the ones holding him.

"Please just let him go!" Mel cried, her eyes watering. "Whatever was stolen from you, we'll all help you find it, I swear!"

The lead shadow ignored them, his human form fading completely out of sight as he motioned the ones holding Harry to bring him forward. Knowing it was useless, but unable to simply stand there and let them take him, Harry struggled with every ounce of strength in him, trying to free himself. The fear was pulsing through him now, and he forced himself to retain some semblance of calmness, he needed to think…it was the only weapon he had.

As he neared the door however, something happened. Harry could feel a sharp flash of relief as he realized what was going on. It felt like a very faint electrical current had begun to stir within him, and the shadows seemed to feel it too, as they started to pull him along faster.

Waiting until the last possible second, as his feet were at the edge of the door, Harry let go, releasing all of the energy within. He didn't wait around to see what happened to the shadows that had been holding him; as soon as their grip loosened, he slipped free and turned to his friends.

The ones that had been holding them were slowly seeping into the cracks of the cement floor, and he sprinted across to them, sliding to an anxious halt and shoving his wand back in his pocket.

"Ron quick, how do we get out?" Harry asked, thinking of all the turns they'd taken to get down here…if they could make it to the pitch they could disapparate. Ron nodded in understanding, taking Hermione's hand and pulling her forward as he raced for the door. Harry did the same with Mel, following closely, and hearing a muddled yet furious voice from behind him.

"He's getting away, stop him!"

Mel stifled a nervous shriek as she squeezed Harry's hand tighter.

"Hurry Ron, hurry!" she cried, breathing heavily and looking fearfully over her shoulder. They were already running quickly through the tunnels, moving as fast as possible. Though as always, after using the crystals' powers without having possession of them, Harry began to feel his energy draining away. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to move forward, but could feel Mel start pulling ahead of him.

She looked over at him, terror in her eyes, knowing something was wrong but unable to find the words to speak, and Harry just nodded for her to keep going, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

There was light at the end of the corridor now and Harry felt a shock of relief wash over him, but it was cut off as he felt something grasp his ankle. He wrenched free of Mel's hand so he wouldn't pull her down with him, and his knees cracked painfully against the hard ground, before the momentum carried him forward. He put out his hands to stop his face from hitting as well, and struggled over onto his back as he saw a thin shadowy tendril wrapped around his ankle.

"No!" Mel shrieked despairingly, causing Ron and Hermione to come to an abrupt stop before they began racing back. Harry felt his friends grabbing him, taking hold of his arms and trying to pull him free, as another tendril crept up from the corridor, and snaked its way around his other ankle.

Harry kicked out at them, struggling to free himself as his friends pulled, refusing to let go of him. He could see more shadows forming on the walls, beginning to slither towards him, and began to lose hope, when suddenly one of them gave. His right ankle was loose and with one final, fierce tug, the four of them were in a heap on the ground; but he was free.

"C'mon!" Ron shouted frantically," helping Hermione to her feet as Harry and Mel scrambled up as well. They raced the final few feet to the late afternoon sunlight, and Harry could hear them coming now…it sounded like a lot more than he'd seen down there. Praying he had enough strength left, he closed his eyes, and disapparated.

Seconds later, Harry opened his eyes to see Ron and Hermione's living room, and felt a swell of relief. His friends had all had the same idea, and he saw that all four of them had made it safely back. They were standing in front of the hearth, looking at one another in shock.

Still feeling terribly weak, the apparation only having added to the strain, Harry started for the couch before any of his friends could speak. He nearly stumbled twice, too tired to pick his feet up, and finally fell onto the small sofa, exhaling shakily.

Mel crossed the room to him swiftly, and he pushed himself up as she reached him, throwing her arms around him and sobbing into his neck.

"It's alright," he whispered, having to force his own voice to remain even. He saw Ron and Hermione lowering themselves on the opposite couch, looking at him sadly.

"It's not alright!" Mel cried, "You were nearly taken…they would have killed you!"

"But I'm here now," Harry said quietly, gently pushing her back and looking into her teary eyes. "I'm here."

"They found you though, Harry," Hermione said quietly. "You were in the wizarding world the whole time, and they got to you."

"Maybe they just happened to be near there," Harry suggested. "The pitch was mostly empty because of the practice being over…I wasn't around many people."

"It doesn't change the fact that they're getting closer," Hermione said. "And today was too close."

"What did you do anyway?" Ron asked suddenly. "I don't even know how we got away…"

"The crystals, I think," Harry replied tiredly. He was ready to fall asleep.

"You have them with you?" Mel asked, her eyes going wide. "Has Snape finally agreed…?"

"No," Harry shook his head faintly. "I don't have them with me…but sometimes, if my life is in danger, I get a one time only shot at using their power…though I don't have any aim or control over it. The closer I am to them physically, the easier the power is to use…but if I'm not near them, I usually get tired pretty quickly…"

"Well they picked the right time to show up," Ron said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I still can't believe how close that was…we couldn't do anything!"

"We have to tell Sirius and Marzia," Hermione said suddenly. "We have to let them know…maybe they can ask Dumbledore what we should do."

Harry didn't put up any argument, he just nodded quietly. He didn't want people fretting over him, but this was different. He was going to start a family…and he could not let his child grow up fatherless. The cult had made it abundantly clear that they intended to end his life, whether he told them what they wanted to know or not.

"Are you well enough that we can go now?" Mel asked him uncertainly.

"Yes," Harry lied, wetting his lips and tasting the dried blood on them. Mel pulled a small handkerchief from her pocket and began dabbing at the cut. "What about you?" he asked suddenly, thinking of all the running they'd just done and feeling his heart skip a beat. "How are you? Do you feel anything that…?"

"Don't worry about me," Mel said, hushing him softly. "I'm fine…just a little tired…and definitely a bit shaken…but fine." She put the cloth back into her pocket and wiped her fingers gently against his lips. "That'll have to do for now," she said quietly. "The blood's gone at least."

"Thank you," Harry said, kissing her fingers before looking over at his friends. "We should probably get going then."

"We can use the floo network," Hermione said, standing and making her way towards the hearth. "So you won't have to apparate."

"Thank you," Harry said, getting slowly to his feet with Mel at his side.

The four of them went through one at a time; Ron going first as he wanted to make sure everything was alright on the other end. When his head appeared, he let them know all was well, the rest of them followed, to find the house was completely empty.

"They're probably still at the ministry," Mel said dismally. "They told me this morning that they might be late tonight."

"Well, hopefully it's because they're closer to finding something we can really use to free Dumbledore," Harry said, optimistically.

"But we have to tell someone," Hermione persisted. "Maybe we could sneak into the ministry…"

"Hermione," Harry grinned, despite the situation. "I can't believe I heard those words just come from your mouth…"

"Harry this is serious," Hermione insisted, tapping her foot lightly against the floor for emphasis as she said the last word.

"I agree," Harry nodded, meaning it. "So I'm going back to the school right away…I want to talk to Snape."

"I'll come," Ron, Hermione and Mel said all at once.

"No," Harry shook his head slowly. "I need to talk to him alone…he might get defensive if he thinks we're all ganging up on him, and I need him to listen to what I'm saying."

"What should we do then?" Mel asked.

"Wait here for Sirius and Marzia to get back, if I'm not back by then let them know what happened. I don't know how long I'm going to be, but I'll call you when I'm done."

"I'll leave a message with my dad," Ron said then, "that way if he sees them he can let them know we need to talk to them."

"Good," Harry nodded. "Thank you." He still felt shaky, but tried to think only about what he had to do now. He didn't know if the cult could find him easier now, or if they could trace him…but he knew it was better not to waste time, and hopefully Snape would see that too.

As soon as he entered the school, Harry set off immediately for the dungeon area. It was Saturday night, and several students were mulling about, glad to have a break from schoolwork. A few of them threw Harry curious glances as he passed, and he was sure he looked a bit ragged, but had no time to stop to talk.

When he reached Snape's office, he knocked loudly on the door, and received no response. After knocking again, he gently pushed the door open, finding the room empty. Closing the door once again, Harry turned, not ready to give up. He went deeper into the dungeons, finding the door to Snape's quarters, and went through the motions once more, but it seemed the potions master was not there either. Deciding to try elsewhere, Harry made it back to the main level and went to the great hall, but aside from a few students chatting or having a late meal, there was no one else in the room. Having no idea where Snape could be, Harry went to the nearest stairway, and began to climb. He didn't have the energy to search every floor, and figured even if he did he might still never find the potions master that way, so he headed back to his office to try getting in touch with him through the fireplace. He came to a surprised halt, however, when he found Snape already in front of the door, looking as if he were getting ready to leave.

"I was just looking for you," Harry said, feeling glad, for what was probably the third time in his life, to see Snape.

"And I was looking for you," Snape replied icily. Harry's mind started to race, what did he do to upset the potions master this time?

"Wait, this is really important," Harry began, trying to cut off the fight before it started.

"Oh so what you have to say is instantly of greater significance than whatever I have to say?" Snape asked, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest. "I've been a professor here much longer than you Potter, and you can't just expect to come in here and be treated like you're above the rules…"

"What?" Harry replied, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "What are you…?"

"You met with Hadley Thurnes' parents yesterday." It wasn't a question.

"I…I…yes…I did…" Harry stammered, failing to see what this had to do with anything.

"She's a student in my house," Snape snapped angrily. "Don't you think it would have been a good idea to notify me of your plans? Show a bit of courtesy, perhaps?"

"I'm sorry," Harry replied, thinking they didn't have time for this right now. "I didn't realize…"

"Because you never bother to think about anything," Snape hissed, angrily. "You assume that just because you wish it, that it will be allowed, well that's not how things work!"

"Professor Snape, I apologize," Harry said quickly, feeling this argument was a ridiculous waste of time, but trying to keep calm. If he started screaming back at Snape, it would only make this take longer. "My intention wasn't to undermine your authority or upset you in any way. I simply didn't know I had to clear it with you first to meet with Hadley's parents."

"Not that that surprises me," Snape muttered irritably. "You don't know much of anything…"

"Professor Snape," Harry began, trying to ignore that last comment, "I really need to speak with you about…"

"Stop trying to simply brush this off, Potter!" Snape cut in, his face set in an angry grimace. "I want to know why you felt it was necessary to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Thurnes, and why you didn't even bother to tell me what it was about afterwards."

"Will you just listen for a minute?" Harry finally said, his tone almost a shout. "I need to ask you about the crystals, the Shadow W-"

"No you listen!" Snape cut in, utter fury in his tone, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You've had everything handed to you whenever you wanted it, well not anymore!"

"That's not true," Harry started, shaking his head.

"Oh but it is," Snape hissed. "You should have been expelled more times than I can possibly count, but it never happened…you and your friends had Dumbledore so caught up in your false charm that he would never dream of doing anything that would upset you…even when my life was at stake he still…"

"What?" Harry asked, shocked. When Snape's life was at stake? What did he mean…the incident from last year? Was he angry about what had happened? But Snape continued to talk as if he hadn't spoken.

"…still didn't so much as take even five house points away. No, not from James Potter and his group of headstrong, back talking…"

"Professor Snape," Harry said, feeling his stomach flip slowly.

"…no good flunkies that are always…"

"Professor Snape," Harry said again, more insistently.

"…walking around like they own the place…"  
"Severus!" Harry finally shouted, and at last Snape stopped talking, glaring at him indignantly.

"Can't even let me finish a sentence, can you Potter?" Snape spat angrily.

"You called me James," Harry said, hearing the words over in his head. He knew he hadn't misheard…he knew it.

"What? I did not…you're only trying to…"

"You did," Harry insisted forcefully. "You said Dumbledore wouldn't take house points away from James Potter."

"You're imagining things," Snape said briskly, but he was no longer meeting Harry's gaze.

"What are you really mad at here, professor?" Harry asked evenly. "And who?"

For a moment, Snape said nothing, remaining absolutely still and silent, when suddenly, he spun on his heel and began stalking down the hall. He didn't utter so much as one word to Harry as he went, and Harry got the distinct impression that now would be the worst possible time to try to stop him. He looked after the potions master as he moved quickly down the corridor, until he turned the corner, out of sight.


	12. Chapter 12

Feeling angry and confused, Harry slammed the door to his office shut behind him, and took a deep breath. He needed to relax, and not just let himself get caught up in his anger. Slowly, he calmed his breathing down, and finally crossed the room to the hearth.

"What'd he say?" Mel asked immediately after her head appeared in the flames.

"Let's just say it didn't go well," Harry said darkly.

"He didn't refuse, did he?" Mel asked, horrified. "How can he? After what just happened he'd have to be…"

"No Mel," Harry interrupted. "He didn't refuse. I never got the chance to tell him…"

"Why?" Mel asked warily.

Harry shook his head faintly, sighing inaudibly.

"It doesn't matter," he said at last. "I'm not giving up, I just want to give him some time to cool off. Have you heard anything from Sirius or Marzia yet?"

"No," Mel replied. "Ron left that message with his father as well…nothing from him either."

"Alright," Harry nodded. "Let me know if you hear anything."

"You sure you don't want company?" Mel asked quietly. "Ron and Hermione could wait for…"

"Mel, thank you," Harry said, sincerely. "But I'd rather you stay there…if something does happen…I think it's best if you're not anywhere near me…"

"Harry, don't say that," Mel said quietly. "Besides they're not after me…"

"I don't want to chance it," Harry cut in, insistently. "Please, just wait there…if I finally get anything out of Snape, I'll call you back."

Mel made no reply for a long moment, before nodding faintly and sighing.

"Just be careful, alright?" she asked softly. "Stay safe."

"I will," Harry nodded, smiling gently. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered back. Their eyes lingered for a long moment, before finally, her face faded, and all that remained were the flickering flames before him.

Looking down at himself, aching from the events of the day, Harry stood up slowly and decided to head down to his quarters. He wanted to get changed and relax for a few minutes, but he also wanted to find Snape and talk to him again. No matter what the potions master was angry over, the situation was now far too important for him to ignore the crystals any longer.

After making his way up the corridor, Harry closed the door to his quarters and threw on an old pair of jeans and a flannel. He tossed the clothes he'd been wearing to the floor, deciding to deal with them some other time and plopped lazily onto the bed.

As he lay there, he thought about the attack from earlier, wondering if the Shadow Walkers really had just happened to find him there…or if they'd known. The more he thought about it, it seemed strange that it would just be luck on their part. He wasn't in the locker room very long, fifteen or twenty minutes at best, but they'd known exactly where he would be. If it hadn't been for the crystals…he didn't even want to think about where he'd be right now.

The crystals. It was no good just hoping they'd be there every time he needed them, near or far. He wanted to be sure. If Snape still refused to help him after this…well…he might have to go ahead and use them anyway. He wasn't going to just let the cult get him because Snape had something against him…something that he must've been holding in for quite some time judging by their most recent conversation…if it could be called that.

Looking over his shoulder, Harry glanced towards the trunk containing the stones, and his stomach turned to ice. He shot up from the bed, looking frantically over the room, beginning to walk around, checking anywhere and everywhere…to no avail. The trunk was gone.

Fighting down a wave of panic, Harry's mind finally began working again, and he immediately left his quarters. Running as fast as he could, he made his way down to the dungeon area, skidding to a halt once again at Snape's door. There was no reply at his office however, and when Harry went down further, the same was true for the potion master's bedroom.

"Professor Snape!" he shouted, wondering if the older man were simply ignoring him. "Please if you're here answer me…it's important!" After several seconds and still no reply, Harry was feeling frantic once more. Knowing he needed to tell someone, he set off at a run once more, not caring how tired he was feeling, and raced back up the stairs, coming to a stop in front of the gargoyle which led to Minerva's office. He gave the password breathlessly, waiting for the large stone statue to move aside…but nothing happened.

Catching his breath, he tried again, and still nothing.

"Professor?" came a curious voice from a short distance away. Harry looked up to see Professor Flitwick ambling down the hall towards him. "Is everything alright?"

Harry looked from Flitwick to the gargoyle and back. He knew that the professor knew next to nothing about the crystals, and so telling him would do no good…but he needed to speak with McGonagall.

"I was just trying to get in," Harry said, gesturing towards the doorway. "I needed to talk to Minerva…has she changed the password to her office, do you know?"

"Oh!" Flitwick said, a smile crossing his face. "No, not at all…she was simply called away for the evening, and may not return until the morning. Her office is locked until then."

"Ah," Harry replied, trying not to appear as apprehensive as he felt. "Well…thank you," he nodded, and Flitwick returned the gesture as Harry passed him, heading for the stairs once more.

As he raced back towards the dungeon area, Harry made a sudden decision. He passed by a group of Hufflepuffs on their way up to their common room, and asked for a spare piece of parchment. After they lent him a quill and some ink as well, he scribbled out a quick message, returned the items, and continued downstairs. When he came to Snape's office, he looked at the note in his hand, and decided to keep going until he reached the potion master's bedroom. If Snape returned late from wherever he was, he may not go into his office, so his bedroom was the better chance that he might see the note.

Coming to the doorway, Harry tried knocking, and checked to see if the door were unlocked once more, but came up with nothing. Kneeling down, he placed the folded parchment on the floor, and slipped it through the crack under the door, before standing up and heading for the main entrance of Hogwarts.

Harry stepped out into the still chilly night air, the moon bright in the sky above him. He looked up at it for a moment, remembering that the full moon began the next night, and hoped that no matter how Snape felt…he would at least continue to make the potion for him, but didn't have time to worry about that now.

Realizing he didn't grab his broom, he crossed the school grounds until he came to the cupboard near the quidditch pitch. Pulling out his wand, he unlocked the door quickly, and grabbed the closest broom he could reach. He mounted it quickly, and was on his way to Hogsmeade.

In the letter he had left for Snape, there was simply a brief explanation. He let him know he was on his way to the ministry; he had to speak to someone. The cult had attacked for the second time, and the crystals were missing. He hoped Snape would meet him there, as he needed his help. He'd only added that last bit in hopes the potions master's ego might be tipped just enough for him to come, though inside, Harry knew it was the truth. He needed any help he could get.

As he reached Hogsmeade, he set off at once for the floo station, having no idea what he would do to get past the lobby at the ministry when he arrived. He glanced around at the few people walking the streets as the shops were getting ready to close up, when he spotted something that made him stop. A mop of red hair was sticking out from above a long black cloak, and at first, Harry wondered if it were Ron, having the same idea as he. But the person passed by the floo station, and continued walking. He reached up to pull the cloak over his head, but just before he did, he turned his head, and Harry recognized him. Troy.

Harry reached the floo station just seconds later, watching curiously Troy walk slowly away into the night before going inside. He paid the fee for them to watch his broom, and was about to get on line to use the next available grate, when his curiosity overcame him, and he headed once again for the door.

Looking up the street, Harry saw Troy heading swiftly towards the residential area of Hogsmeade. After one last glance inside the floo station, Harry again made a sudden decision. This could be his chance…he could see what the transfiguration professor was really up to…but if he waited, he would no longer be able to follow him. Pulling up the collar on his shirt, as he'd neglected to grab a cloak, Harry crossed his arms in front of him, and started forward, hurrying to catch up with Troy.

Moving quickly, but keeping his distance so as not to be seen, Harry followed Troy through the streets of Hogsmeade, passing row upon row of apartments and houses. He had no idea where the transfiguration professor could be going, and wondered briefly if perhaps Troy simply lived here…or at least knew someone who did.

But when the transfiguration professor finally chose a street to go down, he paused, looking all around him, forcing Harry to duck behind several nearby garbage cans. When he peered out once more, Troy had already set off down the street, and Harry crept to the corner. Troy was walking silently down the sidewalk; his black cloak billowing out behind him, and Harry tried to stay close to the houses as he followed, wondering exactly how far Troy planned on going.

Finally, only three houses from the end, Troy came to an abrupt stop, and Harry ducked down behind the nearest stairway, watching. The transfiguration professor looked slowly up and down the house he was standing directly in front of. He closed his eyes for a long moment, and Harry narrowed his own, wondering what Troy could possibly be doing, when the redhead suddenly started towards the house. Instead of going up the stairs, however, he headed down the alley just beside it.

Fully knowing it was probably the worst thing he could do, Harry took a deep breath, and started after Troy. He reached the entrance to the alley, peering cautiously down it, just in time to see a door gently shutting against the sidewall. Slipping silently into the passageway, Harry made his way to the door, surprised to see Troy had left it unlocked, and pulled it open just enough so he could squeeze through, catching it so it wouldn't make any noise shutting behind him.

He was in a short, dark hallway that led to another door, and as he slipped through that one as well, he saw a large, cluttered basement on the other side. There were several thick pillars with candles hanging from each one, casting a dim glow over the large room. One of the lights was slowly moving, however, and it took Harry's eyes a moment to focus on Troy's figure, creeping along slowly, and cautiously through the mess.

For several minutes, Harry could only watch from the shadows of the doorway, confused as to why Troy had come here, and what he could possibly be looking for, before finally having to move, himself. Troy was back too far for him to see now, and he crept as quietly as possible through the clutter. There was nothing of any importance around that he could see…just junk, broken furniture, toys, antiques…but what could Troy want with any of that?

As he was glancing around, however, Harry had taken his eyes away for too long, and didn't realize until he heard the noise only a few feet away, that Troy had come back around. Looking around anxiously, Harry found nothing big enough for him to hide behind, and just started backing away, hoping he could make it before Troy looked his direction.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, however, than Troy did exactly that. Harry saw the utter shock in the transfiguration professor's eyes as their gazes locked, before Harry's foot came down wrong on what might've been an old music box. His ankle turned inward, and Harry fell forward, throwing his arms out in an attempt to catch his balance, and accidentally knocking the candle from Troy's hand.

Troy caught Harry, because it was all he could do, but quickly pushed the dark arts professor away as the flames from his candle caught on the bottom edge of his cloak.

He knelt down, swatting at the small blaze with his bare hands, and Harry instinctively moved towards him to help, grabbing an old throw pillow lying several inches away and using to extinguish the fire. Troy clasped his hands together, grimacing painfully, and Harry stood up slowly, watching him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, uncertainly.

"I would have been fine if you hadn't set my cloak on fire!" Troy spat in a fierce whisper, turning his hands over in each other. Harry glanced at them, though when something caught his eye, he couldn't stop himself from reaching out quickly, and grasping Troy's right hand.

"Hey! What are you doing!?" Troy whispered in outrage, yanking back on his hand.

But Harry paid no attention, feeling a cold dread settle in the pit of his stomach. The mark of the cult was on Troy's wrist, it had surfaced when he was burned, and was only just beginning to fade again.

"You…you're one of them," Harry whispered, dropping Troy's hand and beginning to back away.

But Troy didn't reply. He reached into his robes, and Harry felt fear gripping him as Troy pulled out his wand. He shoved his hand into his pocket for his own wand, when a bright light suddenly flashed through the room, and Harry's vision blurred, before he fell at once to his knees, unconscious before his head touched the floor.

Harry's eyes fluttered slowly open, and the first thought that immediately entered his mind, was Troy. Feeling a brief surge of adrenaline, Harry bolted into a sitting position from where he lay on the floor, before quickly realizing he was completely alone. Not feeling any relief from this knowledge, he slowly stood up, to have a better look at his surroundings, which took all of ten seconds. There were no windows…no doors…no furniture. It was a dark, dim room, with one flickering candle hanging midway up the wall to his left.

Pushing down the fear that was settling slowly into his gut, Harry slipped his hand into his pockets, but knew before he'd even done it, his wand was gone. He remembered taking it out when Troy had pulled his own wand…and then a flash of light. Did Troy cause the light? He couldn't remember hearing the transfiguration professor speak…but then again, maybe it was something only a Shadow Walker could do, and Harry remembered the mark on Troy's wrist clearly.

"Why would he be using a wand then?" he muttered to himself, remembering how the cult laughed at Mel for trying to curse them using one. They seemed to consider wands both harmless…and useless. Was Troy's mark a fake as well? If it was…Adrik must've given it to him…but why?

Harry began pacing the room aimlessly, deciding to worry about it later…he had to escape first, but he had no idea what to even look for. He assumed Troy must've put him here, wherever here was…though he hadn't the slightest clue how.

Moving close to the blank wall on his left, Harry put his hands up against it, feeling the old, stale paint chipping away at his touch. He slid his fingers over the surface slowly, moving along, searching for anything…a hidden opening or latch…something that might help him find a way out. The wall was utterly solid however, but Harry was determined, and as he hit the corner, continued right along to the next wall.

He found nothing there either, and had little hope of finding anything as he moved to the third wall. But as he came closer to the candle, something very odd happened; a small breeze flitted past him, just barely wisping through his hair. Harry stopped in his tracks, waiting and hoping to feel it again, praying he wasn't simply going crazy and imagining it. After almost a full minute passed, he got his wish, as another barely noticeable breeze brushed his face.

Feeling a slight glimmer of hope begin to quash the fear within him, Harry moved to the candle, hoping there was a good reason that the breeze was coming from that spot, and not simply a draft from another room. He reached out cautiously, running his fingers along the holder that was bolted to the wall, and his eyes widened as it visibly rippled under his touch.

Grasping it harder this time, Harry tried pulling and tugging at the thick piece of metal, twisting and turning against its restraints, but it wouldn't budge, not in the slightest. After several minutes of this, he released the holder, huffing in frustration, as another breeze blew past him. He watched the candle this time, seeing the tiny flame whipping about in the faint wind, and got an idea.

Hoping this worked, as otherwise he would be plunged into complete darkness; Harry lifted his head towards the flame, and swiftly blew it out.

A bright light immediately illuminated the room, and Harry had to shield his eyes from the sudden change, blinking several times before they adjusted, and smiling at what he saw before him. Someone had enchanted the wall, making it seem as though there was a candle there, when all the while there was a window instead. Harry's heart leapt as he saw there were no bars, no locks…but as he leant over to peer outside, he understood why, and his brief feeling of triumph was snuffed out.

He was still in the same apartment building as the one he'd entered the night before, and from what he could tell he was now about as far up as the building went, which was much too far for jumping or climbing down. The sun was up and shining, however, and it looked to be about mid-morning…he'd been here around twelve hours.

The window was open though…not by much, but it was open, and Harry realized he might still have a chance here. There weren't many people on the streets down below, but there were a few nonetheless, and Harry bent down in front of the opening.

"Hey!" he shouted, as loudly as possible. "If anyone down there can hear me please answer!" He waited a moment, but no one on the street even paused. Grabbing hold of the window, he tried pulling it up further, hoping it might do some good, but it wouldn't budge, and after several minutes of trying he just gave up.

Leaning towards the opening again, he shouted once more.

"Please, if any of you can hear me…I need your help!"

Still no response…if they could hear him, they were doing a fantastic job of ignoring him. Looking around in frustration, Harry decided to try breaking the glass…even if he couldn't climb down surely his head sticking out a top floor window would catch someone's attention.

Rolling up one of the long flannel sleeves so it would soften the blow, Harry balled his hand into a fist, his elbow bent and poised, and taking a deep breath, he slammed it sideways, towards the glass.

Before his elbow touched the window however, he felt something blocking his path, and that something sent a most unpleasant shock through him, so strong it knocked him to the floor. Sitting up in a half-daze, coughing roughly, Harry heard a harsh bang, and saw immediately that the window was now shut.

Cursing under his breath, he scrambled across the room, trying with everything he had to pry it open, but it wouldn't budge.

At least I can still see it, he thought dismally, as he rubbed his sore elbow and turned again to look around the room. There was still one wall he hadn't searched…

There were no markings or indications that there would be any openings on this one, but there had to be a door somewhere, didn't there? As it was the only option he had for the moment, Harry walked quickly to the edge of the last wall, and once again began feeling around, searching.

It was simply luck that he happened to glance down nearly three-quarters of the way through, and noticed the floor was slightly discolored where he was standing. Concentrating on that spot, Harry knelt down, starting from the bottom and working his way up, moving slowly, cautiously, and finally, the wall rippled.

Harry froze, realizing at once that his right hand was touching a faint hump in the wall at that exact moment, and he pushed on it forcefully, digging his fingers into the paint as the wall continued to ripple and quiver, when at last the image changed. Harry felt his fingers curl, gripping tightly to a door knob that emerged from the wall, and felt a rush of triumph, followed immediately by slowly creeping dread, as he felt the knob turning under his fingers.

Letting go at once and taking a step back, Harry heard the clicking of a lock, before the newly visible doorway in front of him slowly began to open.

Harry watched anxiously, expecting to see Troy, and praying he wasn't bringing a group of Shadow Walkers…but his jaw dropped in shock as Adrik walked slowly into the room, followed closely by Ewan.

"You," Harry said, his eyes narrowing darkly as he glared at Ewan. "Got tired of cleaning up at the ministry so you decided to become a death eater?" Harry quipped bitterly.

"Oh he's funny today," Adrik smirked wickedly.

"Don't change the subject," Ewan said, rolling his eyes, ignoring Harry entirely. "You owe me ten galleons…pay up."

"Was it ten?" Adrik asked, carelessly.

"I knew you'd try to weasel your way out of this," Ewan said. "He found your escape route…the one you said he'd never find…barely took him an hour…now hand over the coins," he finished, holding out his hand expectantly.

"As I recall, he didn't get the window open, did he?" Adrik asked, glancing at it as he spoke. "Your escape was here all along, Potter," he said quite amused as he moved towards the window, sliding it open with ease. "You were so close too…most people simply amble around until the candle finally goes out." Harry watched him as he spoke; the window now back in the same position it had been beforehand. Instead of trying to open it further, as Harry had done, Adrik gently closed the window, pushing it firmly shut, before reaching up and clicking the lock into place.

The wall began to shimmer brightly and the window faded entirely from view in the glimmering light, forming an ever-moving shape in front of them.

"How's your elbow?" Adrik asked pleasantly. Harry didn't reply, and simply looked at the older wizard guardedly, at the sunken sockets that he knew were still seeing him, and tried not to shudder.

"Where does it lead?" Harry asked, trying to hide his apprehension.

"To exactly where you were trying to reach…outside," Adrik replied, smiling graciously. "Care to have a look?"

Harry glanced suspiciously at the doorway, knowing Adrik would never simply let him walk away, and shook his head slowly.

"Maybe later then," Adrik said, smiling darkly as the light faded from view, and the window reappeared.

"Where's Troy?" Harry asked, wondering why the transfiguration professor hadn't shown himself with the others. He knew Harry had seen him, so what was there to hide?

"Don't worry about him," Adrik replied offhandedly. "He'll be back at the school in time for classes tomorrow morning…" he paused then, continuing on in a much more sinister tone, "but you, sadly, will not be."

Harry looked back and forth from Adrik to Ewan, forcing back the fear creeping its way through him.

"What do you want?" he asked finally, honestly not sure. If Voldemort wanted his powers, he would have to kill Harry himself, but the dark lord had yet to show himself if he were there…

"Well, I have several things I must attend to, very important," Adrik said, sounding almost businesslike. "But you and Oren will be going for a little ride…" he trailed off, gesturing to Ewan.

"Oren," Harry repeated faintly, the realization clicking in at once. "Oren Alcott?" he asked, knowing he was right.

"Very good," Oren replied sardonically, rolling his eyes. "I honestly thought you'd figure it out sooner…"

Harry didn't reply for a minute, looking over Caleb's twin…knowing who he was now, he could see faint similarities in their features and expressions, despite the age appearance of about one hundred and thirty years. The eyes were what would truly give it away, however…and Harry could've kicked himself for not making the connection sooner.

"You killed your brother, didn't you?" Harry asked stiffly.

"Not exactly, though I was rather angry at him…" Oren shrugged nonchalantly. "He was saying too much…and I needed to test…something…" he said, evasively.

"Why did you give him the mark of the cult?" Harry asked, his anger growing as he continued. "Why did Travis have it as well…you killed him too didn't you? And Simone…"

"Travis, he's that stupid muggle, isn't he?" Oren spat bitterly. "He ruined everything…"

"What?" Harry asked, confused. "What are you…?"

"That's enough, Oren," Adrik spoke up sharply. "No need to burden Mr. Potter with information that he doesn't need to know…"

Oren nodded faintly, before glancing at his watch.

"We should get going…I don't want to wait too long."

"Yes, Lilith will meet you downstairs," Adrik nodded.

"Where…?" Harry spoke up, trailing off uncertainly. "Where are we going?"

Adrik smiled, a sight that sent chills down Harry's spine.

"I believe the Shadow Walkers wish to meet with you," he began, sounding insanely pleasant. "And I'm certain they were most disappointed that you didn't arrive yesterday, as you were supposed to. But as luck would have it, we know where to find them, so everything can continue…as planned."

Harry could feel his heart beating rapidly within his chest, the fog of panic was threatening to cloud over his mind and he strained to push it back. He had to get away, but at this moment, couldn't see any chance of escape. Even if he made it out of this room, he had the distinct impression there would be other death eaters in the building…and he didn't have his wand…

He watched silently as Adrik once again opened the doorway that was the window, the glimmering light appearing on the wall.

"Come on then," he said motioning Harry to go through. "Better if you don't fight us on this."

"If it only leads outside why can't we just use that door?" Harry asked, pointing to the entrance the two death eaters had come through.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Adrik smirked. "Everyone walking by seeing you with us on the streets of Hogsmeade…no, I think this way is better."

Harry looked at Adrik for a brief moment, before finally starting forward. Maybe if he got through before them he could simply run for it. Moving quickly, Harry reached the doorway and put his hand out first, relieved to feel that it didn't hurt or burn in any way, and steeling himself, stepped through.

Everything around him changed within that second, and suddenly he was standing on hard ground, in a rather wide dead end, surrounded by old, most certainly unlived in buildings; and a cool breeze was brushing against his face. There was a sleek, black car with tinted windows parked several feet to his left, but, Harry realized with a faint glimmer of hope, there was no one else there, and without a second thought, started off in the opposite direction from the car.

Before he could even get to a full run, however, he was roughly grabbed from behind, by something so strong, he was lifted off his feet. He struggled hopelessly against the iron grip that pinned his arms to his sides, trying to kick out at what was holding him, but only hitting air, as he was carried back towards the car. Adrik and Oren were standing there now, smiling in morbid amusement.

"It's always fun to see what they'll do, when they think they have an opportunity," Adrik commented as Harry was brought to them. Harry felt his feet touch the ground as whoever had him let go, and turned to see a Skein standing directly behind him. He instinctively stepped back a pace, remembering his last encounter with the spider-like creatures, and wondered where she'd come from. Glancing around again, however, he could see over a dozen Skeins were standing close by, all wearing long black cloaks, their spidery legs hidden underneath, and forming a semi-circle around the car.

"And now, it's time for you to be on your way," Adrik spoke again, moving casually towards the car and gently opening the back door, where Harry could see someone sitting. Adrik extended a hand, and politely helped Lilith out into the sunlight.

Lilith barely spared Harry half a glance, however, as she looked around at her Skeins. Her inverted eyes came to rest on the one directly behind Harry, "Zaida," she said, before shifting her gaze slightly to the right, "Zea, you two will go along."

Harry caught a glimpse of the two Skeins she'd addressed nod faintly in reply, before the one she'd called Zea stepped forward. She slipped easily into the back seat of the car despite the fact that she looked like she was nearly three sizes too large to fit.

"Have a lovely trip," Adrik said, nodding pleasantly towards Harry, and gesturing for him to get in. But Harry wouldn't, he shook his head slowly, standing his ground, not willing to simply go along and let them deliver him to the Shadow Walkers. Despair and fear were threatening to take over, and he refused, shoving the feelings back, needing to think…

"Fine," Adrik replied in obvious exasperation making a motion with his head that indicated he would have rolled his eyes, had he had them. Lilith simply nodded at the Skein she'd addressed as Zaida, and Harry was once again lifted roughly off his feet. He tried fighting, his breathing becoming quick and short, and as they neared the doorway he swung out his legs, struggling with everything he had, planting his feet against the corners of the door and trying to kick backwards.

Zea reached out from within the car, taking hold of his ankles, and the fight was over. Harry was unceremoniously dumped onto the floor next to the seat, and tried to scramble up, when Zea grabbed his arm and flung him onto the seat beside her. Zaida climbed in and lowered herself into the space on Harry's left, so the Skeins now flanked him.

Forcing himself to remain calm, he could hear Adrik and Oren speaking quietly for a brief moment, before Oren soon appeared in the doorway of the car. He climbed past Zaida and sat on a long seat that was just across from where Harry was, facing him.

The door was slammed shut, and the car began to move.

Harry sat quietly as the car moved silently down the empty road. He couldn't help but feel confusion over what Voldemort was trying to accomplish by giving him to the Shadow Walkers. If he wanted control over the crystals…he would have to kill Harry himself.

As the minutes ticked by, he slowly began to recognize the area they were going through, and realized they never left Hogsmeade, or if they did, it hadn't been by much. He could see people on the sidewalks, going about their normal, everyday business, and slid forward in his seat.

"Don't get any ideas," Oren said casually, seconds before Zaida forced Harry back against the seat. "They can't see you through the glass, they can't hear you if you shout, and if you're going to cause any trouble then I have no qualms about strapping you the chair until we're done."

Harry glared back at him darkly, before returning his gaze to the window, and wishing dismally that he'd never seen Troy the night before. But he simply couldn't let it go once he had, needing to know what the transfiguration professor had been up to. He still didn't know what Troy had been doing in Gryffindor Tower just before Christmas…or why he'd requested to resign from his position as an instructor…and wondered if he'd ever find out.

He looked again at Oren, to find the dark brown eyes staring straight back at him.

"So, you've been working with the Shadow Walkers this whole time then?" Harry asked, hoping he might get some answers from the old death eater.

"Not exactly," Oren replied vaguely.

"Did you tell them I was going to be at the quidditch pitch yesterday?"

"I didn't speak with them personally, no," Oren replied, stretching his arms over his head as if he were tired. "Adrik has his ways, and will be getting in touch with them again shortly…just as soon as we've dropped you off…"

"Why go through all of this?" Harry asked, stiffly. "You've known where I've been this whole time…if you wanted them to find me so badly why not just tell the cult about Hogwarts?"

"Believe me if that had been an option we would have done it long ago."

"Then why couldn't you?"

Oren smirked wryly, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"Don't worry yourself over it," he said, almost cheerfully, "it's not as if you'll ever see that place again anyway, so what does it matter?"

Harry was silent for a long moment, his stomach turning over the idea that Hogwarts might be in far greater danger than any of them had imagined.

"Who's the spy?" he asked quietly. "I know you have one…one of the ghosts at the school can sense him."

"Right, the Bloody Baron," Oren said with obvious irritation. "Been nothing but a bloody bother, that one…but then again, it doesn't matter now. We have what we need."

"You mean the crystals," Harry stated, it wasn't a question. Oren simply smiled, making no reply. "How do you intend to use them?" Harry asked bitterly, knowing they couldn't so much as open the trunk without him.

"Just let us worry about that," Oren replied, sweetly. "You might want to try relaxing a bit there, Potter. Why spend your last few hours so tense and stressed?" He smiled then, as if he were proud of giving such supremely helpful advice.

Harry could only sit there, glaring hatefully at the older wizard, and realized there was not much chance of him getting any more information out of him in regards to the crystals, so he changed the subject.

"Why did you frame Dumbledore?" he asked crisply. "What does he have to do with any of this?"

"Dumbledore? With the Shadow Walkers? Nothing really," Oren shrugged nonchalantly. "We were simply repaying a debt."

"To who?" Harry asked immediately.

Oren smirked skeptically.

"You mean to tell me you can't think of anyone who would want that old fool forced out of his position as head minister?"

"Thurston," Harry replied darkly, glad for the confirmation at least.

"Amazing deduction," Oren remarked, bored. He stretched again, yawning loudly.

"So then what did he do for you?" Harry asked quickly. "What debt did you have to him?"

"Do you ever shut up, Potter?" Oren asked, growing annoyed. "I'm tired and we have a little ways yet to go…just sit back and wait til we're there."

With that, Oren leant back against his chair, and closed his eyes. Harry glanced to either side, seeing the Skeins sitting rigidly in their seats, and sighed under his breath, hearing a shake in his voice despite himself. He was scared, and he couldn't see so much as a glimmer of hope that he might get out of this, but he refused to break. If he fell apart now, then it truly would be over.

Looking out the window again, he saw they were quite far from Hogsmeade, on a road he didn't recognize in the slightest. He watched the scenery pass by softly, the sun glinting off the last remnants of still-melting snow, the air blowing through the newly green leaves, before finally sitting back, and waiting…as it was the only thing he could do.

When the car finally came to a stop, they weren't even on a road any longer, but the very end of a gravelly path that trailed off into a forest. Which forest it was, was anyone's guess for all Harry knew, he hadn't the slightest clue where they were.

Oren nodded faintly to Zaida, who opened the door beside her and swiftly exited the car. Harry didn't have a chance to move for himself, as Zea immediately pushed him out, and into the mid-afternoon sunlight. He glanced around at once, taking in everything. There were trees just twenty feet from where he stood, which led into what appeared to be a deep forest. If he could make it to them, he might be able to lose Oren…maybe even the Skeins.

His hopes of escaping by that route were dashed within seconds, however, as both Skeins took hold of his arms.

"I can walk by myself, you know," Harry spat angrily, trying to pull away from their grasp.

"Of course you can," Oren spoke up, impatiently, stepping around and in front of Harry. "But we're not walking anywhere…we're disapparating. So my suggestion to you would be stop struggling, because you don't know where we're going, you don't have your wand, and any resistance will result in you being splinched."

"Where are we going?" Harry asked, warily.

"You'll see when we get there," Oren smirked wickedly, and with that, he disappeared, a loud pop echoing in his wake.

Harry closed his eyes, waiting for the Skeins to go, and knew exactly when they did, as for several agonizing seconds, he felt as though he were being pulled in every direction at once, and saw only darkness. But before the fear of being torn apart could fully set in, he felt solid ground beneath his feet; they had arrived.

Involuntarily shaking in the slightest from that experience, but trying to hide it, Harry glanced at his new surroundings, and could feel his heart sinking. Maybe they were still in the forest, he couldn't tell, because now, with the exception of the small circular clearing they were standing in, there was nothing but thick, dense, impenetrable fog surrounding them. Oren was several feet to his right, staring at him.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, unable to take his eyes from the fog. Small tendrils of it were curling lazily past him, rejoining the mass again as they reached the opposite side.

"At the end of our journey," Oren's voice replied simply, before nodding curtly at the Skeins holding him. They pulled Harry to where Oren stood, near the one and only tree in the clearing. Harry could do nothing to stop them as they slammed him against it, and bound his wrists together around behind the tree.

Harry began fighting against the restraints at once, feeling cold dread seeping in as he realized what was going on; they were going to leave him here like this, surrounded by this terrifying mist, not knowing what might be lurking within it…

"Sorry to do this to you," Oren grinned then, sounding as far from sorry as one possibly can. "If you didn't have that annoying curiosity tendency, I could just leave you here…but let's be honest, if I told you not to go into the fog, we both know you would…"

As if on cue, a low, menacing rumbling filled the air around them, and it took Harry a minute to realize the noise came from something living…a creature in the fog, very nearby from the sound of it, was growling…

"What's out there?" Harry couldn't stop himself from asking before the words left his mouth. His heart was pounding fiercely in his chest as he tried to remain calm.

"They won't leave the fog," came Oren's vague reply. "So long as you don't attract attention to yourself, they won't bother you."

Getting no comfort from this answer, Harry only struggled harder to free himself, feeling the coarse, sticky bonds grow painfully tight as a result.

Oren watched him for a minute, rolling his eyes.

"Well as fun as this is, we must be on our way," the death eater said briskly. He nodded again to one of the Skeins, who ran her fingers through her hair, tearing out a revolting tuft of it. Harry tried to turn away, but was held in place by the second Skein, and the sticky hair was shoved into his mouth, gagging him. Tightening his throat so as to stifle the reflexive urge that followed, Harry continued to fight against the restraints.

"You're only going to cause yourself more pain that way," Oren stated matter-of-factly. "The hair will just keep tightening as you move. Don't worry, you shouldn't be here long anyway. An hour at the most would be my guess…I'm sure the cult won't want to wait once they know where you are."

Harry could only stare hatefully back at him, watching as both the Skeins disappeared. After one last nod and a triumphant smile, Oren disapparated as well, leaving Harry alone, surrounded by the ominous mist.

After several minutes of twisting and thrashing against the unyielding restraints, Harry finally gave up. His wrists were screaming in pain and the bonds were now so tight that his fingertips were cold and numb.

Leaning his head back against the rough surface of the tree, Harry took a deep breath, trying to clear his head, and stop his heart from pounding so fiercely. As he shifted his gaze to the fog surrounding him, watching it hover just on the border of the clearing, he almost wanted the Shadow Walkers to come, if it meant leaving this place. Something was moving, he could hear it creeping about, cloaked in the mist, and prayed it decided to remain there.

Wanting to shake the thoughts from his head, he glanced up at the sky, but the fog was mostly covering that as well, and he couldn't even tell how late in the day it was. The fear that had been gnawing at the back of his mind was pushing steadily forward; the full moon was tonight, and he didn't have the potion…

Feeling an utter sense of hopelessness gradually consuming him, Harry sunk slowly to the ground, the rough bark of the tree scraping harshly against his back and arms, but he didn't care. He couldn't do this, he couldn't give in now…as long as he was alive there was still a chance…

Needing to occupy his mind with something, Harry thought back once more to the previous night. To Troy. If he really was working with Adrik, Lilith and Oren…then why did he go sneaking around in the basement? What was he looking for? If Troy really was a Shadow Walker then why not simply have him take Harry to the others? Why go through all of this?

Besides that, Troy had been there at Hogwarts with him the whole time, if he wanted to take Harry then what was he waiting for? Harry wondered if maybe Troy had been the spy in his office, but that just didn't feel right…and nothing was making any sense…

Glancing around once more, Harry's breath caught in his throat as his eyes fell on the fog…it looked closer. Pushing himself back up into a standing position, as it was the only thing he could do, he waited, his heart racing in his chest, hoping it was only his imagination.

His fear rose up inside him however, as the fog continued to grow closer and closer, and he wondered if it would hurt…

Pressing his back into the tree, Harry slammed his eyes shut just before the fog touched his face, and suddenly he didn't feel the tree anymore. Losing his balance, he toppled over, hitting the ground shoulder first, and his eyes sprung open.

The fog was gone, and he was lying awkwardly on a soft patch of grass. There was a blue light encircling him, shining from above, but it was quickly fading, and he glanced up just in time to see the light snuff out, before there was nothing.

Struggling to get into an upright position without the use of his arms, Harry finally managed to sit up to see he was in a wooded area. The late afternoon sun was shining down on him, but it didn't look right. It was as if someone had put a grey colored screen up and the sun was barely managing to filter through…after a closer look around, Harry realized everything looked this way. The tree branches hung lifeless and dull, the leaves looking pasty and thin, the grass was green, but had a grayish tint, and strangely enough, felt too soft. There were birds fluttering about, and small animals skittering behind rocks or bushes, but they didn't look quite right either. There was no enthusiasm, no life…they simply moved because there was nothing else to do.

It was depressing and cold, wherever he was, but before another thought could cross his mind, the shadows cast by the trees began to move. Pulling away and raising up into the air, the grey forms took shape, and Harry inhaled sharply. The Shadow Walkers had arrived.

With sudden alarm, Harry stumbled to his feet, nearly losing his balance, and began stepping away quickly, having no place to go but not caring. He again tried to free his hands, struggling frantically against the bonds, to no avail. And they closed in on him.

Harry didn't fight as they pulled him through the trees, trying to move quickly so they weren't dragging him along. They walked in silence, and after nearly half an hour had passed, they emerged from the woods.

Harry didn't know what he'd expected, but this hadn't been it. There were houses…houses with chimneys and windows and doors…it was a like small village…a village in the middle of a forest that nobody knew about. There were no shops and such, but there was what looked like a church at the end of the group of houses, and a water-well just beside it. Beyond that, Harry could see a pale blue glow that looked so very far away barely shimmering through the trees, but nothing more. Everything here looked dismal as well…grey and sad.

The shadows holding him started forward at once, pulling him out to the clearing in the middle of the village, where others were gathered, waiting. They came to an abrupt halt, and released Harry, thrusting him forward to his knees, before stepping back. Harry looked up at the ones in front of him, doing all he could to mask his fear, his heart pounding so fiercely he would swear they could hear it. When one of them moved slowly forward, he steeled himself, having no idea what it was going to do, but it didn't touch him. Instead, it lowered itself down beside him, and Harry once again saw the face of the brown-haired man staring intently back at him.

"And at last, the traitor arrives," the shadow said, sneeringly, enjoying the wariness in Harry's eyes as he wrenched him to his feet. He flinched back as the Shadow Walker raised a hand to his face, but was relieved as he felt the gag being pulled out, and started coughing roughly the moment it was gone. The Shadow Walker didn't care, however, and simply took him by the arm, jerking him forward through the crowd of shadows.

Harry didn't dare ask any questions, and could only pray they would listen to him if he was even given a chance to speak. He moved along quickly with the shadow holding him, cold dread in the pit of his stomach, as they made their way immediately towards the pale blue glow.

They didn't go very far into the trees to reach the source of the light, however, and Harry stared in awe at the sight before him. The blue glow visible from the clearing rose to the tops of the trees, forming a perfect circle on the ground. There were seven towering marble pillars spaced evenly around the edge of the circle, and standing in the center, beside a round, shimmering, crystal platform, was another Shadow Walker.

As they crossed through into the light, Harry felt a sudden searing pain tear through him, and was unable to fully stifle his anguished cry as he stumbled. But the shadow holding him simply snickered in amusement, keeping him up and not stopping, continuing towards the center of the circle.

Harry's vision blurred sickeningly and he quickly found it hard to breathe as the pain steadily increased. When the Shadow Walker finally released him as they reached the other one, he immediately collapsed in a gasping heap at his feet.

"Castor," came the quiet, even voice of this new Shadow Walker. "I told you no games yet, I need him conscious in order to speak with him, correct?" With that, Harry felt a soft touch on his arm, and the pain stopped at once. He began breathing deeply, blinking his eyes against the sweat that had run into them, wishing he could wipe it away, and glanced up at this new face.

An older man's face stared back at him through the shadows. He had a small smile on his dry, thin lips, but no compassion in his eyes, no kindness. He looked at Harry as if he were worth no more than a bug that he would crush if only it would stop jumping out of the way.

Harry shuddered involuntarily, fighting off another wave of panic.

"He deserves it," Castor spat hatefully, glaring down at Harry.

"Castor…"

"Have you seen what you've done?" Castor continued angrily, ignoring the older Shadow Walker as his eyes flashed dangerously. "Are you happy now?" he went on, grabbing Harry's arms and shouting in his face. "Look at what you're causing!"

"Castor, let him go now," the older shadow spoke sternly, "leave me to speak with him."

"But Pollux…" Castor began, an infuriated expression on his face.

"I will speak with him first," Pollux cut in firmly. "Now leave."

Castor released Harry, an indignant sneer on his face as he slowly backed away.

"I'll be back soon," he stated intently, nodding as if to confirm this to Pollux, before backing out of the circle.

Harry didn't move, feeling Pollux's eyes on him, and having no idea what to expect. The only thing he was sure about, was that he wasn't the person they were looking for…though getting them to believe that seemed like it might be an impossible task…

"It's been a very long time, hasn't it?" Pollux spoke up then, his tone relaxed and laced with venom.

"Since…since when?" Harry stammered, finally looking up to meet the Shadow Walker's icy blue eyes.

"Since we last spoke," Pollux replied simply.

"I don't…I…I can't say I remember speaking with you before now…" Harry replied jaggedly.

"Really," Pollux relied dryly. "Such a shame, your memory is going in your old age, isn't it?"

"I…I'm not…I'm eighteen…" Harry replied, not sure if Pollux were being sarcastic and clueless as to how to respond.

"You might look that way to the rest of your kind," Pollux began slowly, "but here that doesn't matter, does it? We can sense you…"

Harry didn't reply, distantly remembering that Dumbledore had once told him the shadows couldn't see him…they saw his shadow; everything else was based on scent.

"No matter, you lie all you like about your age…it doesn't make any difference to me…"

"I'm not lying," Harry interrupted determinedly, willing Pollux to believe him. "I don't know who you're after…but I've never seen you before…we've never spoken…and I honestly don't know what you want…"

Pollux's eyes narrowed darkly, and without a word he reached out, wrenching Harry to his feet and pulling him towards the platform. Harry tried to stay calm, not knowing what to expect, when a sudden eruption of light and smoke burst from the center of the crystal circle. The air cleared quickly, and Harry could see blue flames flickering softly and silently, remaining in the one location.

Without warning, Pollux grabbed his wrists, spinning him harshly around, but seconds later Harry felt the bonds loosen and the circulation gradually started moving through his fingers once again. His relief over this was short-lived, however, as Pollux kept a strong grip on his right arm, and thrust Harry's hand forward into the flames.

Stifling a scream that was threatening to burst forth, Harry gritted his teeth, unable to pull away as the Shadow Walker left his hand in the small blaze. He was dimly aware that it wasn't his hand that was in pain; it was his wrist, just under his thumb…

After several agonizing seconds that stretched on for ages, Pollux jerked Harry's arm back from the flames, and spun it harshly before gesturing towards his wrist. The mark of the cult was there, bright and clear as day.

"There," he spat darkly. "You see? Your disguises will never help you…because that mark I can see…so you may as well stop lying, it will only make things worse for you."

"You don't understand," Harry said shakily, "that's not real-" he cut off abruptly as Pollux tightened his grip painfully, but he wasn't going to give up. "It was put there…by a death eater…" he cringed, feeling wave after wave of pain shoot up his arm…until finally, Pollux released his grip, pushing him away. Harry stumbled backwards, taking in shaky gasps of air, holding his right arm close to him.

"No one can replicate that mark," Pollux stated fiercely. "It would be impossible."

"It isn't," Harry said, shaking his head faintly. "A man put it there a few months ago…he made me drink a potion, it looked like a blue flame but I…"

"No," Pollux cut him off sharply. "You're lying…just more of your games."

"I swear I'm not…" Harry said quietly, but slowly losing hope. Pollux seemed positively determined not to believe him. For a few moments, there was only silence between the two, and Harry waited…

"So this man who supposedly did this to you…he is a death eater?" Pollux asked stiffly.

"Yes," Harry nodded.

"Yes," Pollux repeated. "A death eater…I've heard that term before…death eaters work for you, don't they? Yes…I remember…"

"What?" Harry barely managed to blurt out, too shocked for a moment to utter anything else. "I don't…I…no…I don't work with any death eaters…and none of them work for me…the only times I'm around them they're usually trying to kill me…"

"So you've upset them as well, have you?" Pollux asked, sounding faintly amused.

"I was never on good terms with them to begin with," Harry stated, wondering if Pollux was saying what he thought he was. But it didn't make sense…

"Who do you think I am?" Harry asked at last.

"Have you forgotten your name?" Pollux asked wryly.

"No, but I don't think you know my real name," Harry said quickly, and continued before he could stop himself. "I'm not Tom Riddle…I'm not Voldemort…"

Pollux visibly paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes at Harry, before speaking again.

"I think we've spent enough time with this game, Jared," he spat icily. "Now I'm going to ask you a question, and you have only one chance to tell me the truth."

"Jared?" Harry repeated, his eyes going wide with alarm. The only time he'd heard that name used before…with any great significance behind it…was when Dumbledore had told him about Grindelwald. "My name isn't Jared…It's Harry," he said quickly. "Harry Potter."

"More of your lying…"

"I'm not lying!" Harry cried earnestly. "My name isn't Jared…"

"Enough!" Pollux shouted suddenly. "You're only delaying the inevitable."

Harry didn't know what to do, his mind was racing but nothing was making sense. How could they confuse him for Grindelwald? The dark wizard had been dead long before Harry was even born…

"Now, if you're quite finished," Pollux spoke again, sounding impatient. "Before you die for your traitorous actions…you're going to tell me where the Orb is."

Harry could feel his stomach twisting, he felt like he might be sick. He just didn't know how to convince Pollux this was a mistake…if they couldn't see him, then they were either lying about being able to sense Jared…or something else had been done to him…though he hadn't the slightest clue what it was…

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry finally said, as it was the only answer he had. He did remember speaking about the Orb…back during his first discussion with Dumbledore and Marzia telling him about the cult. It was their source of power, if he remembered correctly…what kept them alive…

"Very well," Pollux nodded grimly. "I warned you, you only had one chance…"

"It's the truth," Harry said sincerely. "I don't know where the Orb is…I've never even seen what it looks like!"

"The mark on your wrist never would have appeared in the flames if you hadn't at least touched the Orb," Pollux said curtly.

"I told you, this is a fake," Harry said fiercely, gesturing to his wrist. "I swear I'm telling you the truth about the Orb…but I want to help you find it…"

"Then tell me where you've taken it," Pollux hissed darkly.

"I didn't take it," Harry said quietly, feeling the fear within him building, knowing no matter what he said, it was doing no good. Pollux simply glared at him, before raising his eyes and glancing towards the sky. Harry followed his gaze, realizing there was probably less than an hour until the sun was set…and he felt only despair…

"We are finished here," Pollux said stiffly. He turned to his right, nodding faintly, and Harry saw several Shadow Walkers creep out of the darkness under the trees, moving slowly into the circle. They hesitated in front of Pollux for just a moment, before turning towards Harry, taking his arms and forcing him to start walking. Pollux remained silent and despite knowing it was useless, Harry struggled against his captors, as they headed swiftly back towards the village…

"Has he told you?" Castor asked at once, looking intently at Pollux as Harry was dragged once more into the clearing between the houses.

"No," Pollux replied gravely. The two turned to face their captive, who was being forced to his knees on the soft ground.

Castor advanced on Harry, who didn't so much as flinch when the Shadow Walker bent down in front of him, their faces inches apart.

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded angrily.

"I'm not…" Harry began, straining to keep his voice calm. "I haven't done anything. I've never even seen the Orb."

Castor's face came into perfect view for a fleeting second, and he grabbed Harry's right arm, jerking it upwards so he could see his wrist. Harry was surprised to see the mark hadn't faded this time…it was still showing clearly, a bright blue glow just below his thumb.

"You're lying," Castor snarled, dropping Harry's hand as if it were poisonous, while the shadows once again masked his face.

"Castor," Pollux's stern voice spoke up, "I've given him his chance…"

But Castor paid no attention. Reaching up, he roughly grabbed a handful of Harry's hair, turning his head and forcing him to look to his right.

"See them?" Castor hissed, nodding at several figures standing a few feet away. They were all wearing dark hooded cloaks, and Harry's mind began racing with unpleasant possibilities for who they might be…they didn't look like Shadow Walkers.

"Yes," Harry replied stiffly, trying not to wince as he was briefly lifted up off the ground by Castor's painfully harsh grip.

"You are killing them," he spoke each word with vicious clarity, "they won't last a year without the Orb, and it's nearly been that long. If you let that happen I will-"

"Do nothing," Pollux interrupted darkly. "I've already decided what his fate shall be, Castor. Now release him, there is little time left."

"What?" Castor asked with undisguised shock…and disappointment. But Pollux made no reply, turning instead to one of the nearby Shadow Walkers.

"Are the Sagons near?"

"One of them," the shadow replied swiftly, "no more than two miles from the gate."

"You're going to let the Sagons have him?" Castor asked, angrily. "You call that justice?"

"It's what he deserves," Pollux replied maliciously, his icy blue eyes glaring emotionlessly down at Harry.

"Who are the Sagons?" Harry asked, hiding the fear in his voice, but not in his eyes. Pollux grinned humorlessly.

"Memory giving you problems again, is it Jared?"

"I'm not Jared!" Harry shouted finally, letting some of the anger at what was being done to him out at last. "I don't know how to prove that to you because you won't listen to anything I say…but I'm not him! I haven't touched your Orb; I've never even seen it! But I swear if you'll just let me go…I'll do everything I can to help you get it back."

The shadows seemed oblivious to his outburst, however, brushing it off as if he hadn't spoken. Pollux turned again to the others nearby, speaking to them in hushed tones, while Castor kept attempting to interject. Harry could feel the panic consuming him, and was barely able to hold it off any longer. His hands were shaking and he felt cold, hard dread in his gut…there was no way out of this…

A few short minutes later, Harry found himself being wrenched once again to his feet, and pulled back through the forest the way they'd come. Castor and Pollux remained in the village, arguing, neither one bothering to even spare a second glance in his direction as he disappeared into the trees.

They were moving much faster this time, and Harry simply couldn't keep up, his feet half dragging under him as they sped back to the clearing he'd first arrived in. They dumped him back on the soft grass as if they couldn't be rid of him quickly enough, and Harry didn't even have time to get to his feet, before he was bathed in a pale ray of blue light.

The world before him spun suddenly and sickeningly, and he shut his eyes against it, pressing his head into his knees and waiting.

When he finally dared to open his eyes several minutes later, the motion had stopped, but the sight that was now before him sent an icy chill down his spine. He was back where Oren had left him, in the small circular clearing, surrounded by the thick fog.

Before he could begin to think of what to do, the same low, menacing rumble from earlier filled the air once again, and Harry scrambled hastily to his feet, trying to look everywhere at once, his eyes wide, his pulse racing…

Without any warning, something lunged out from the thick fog at Harry, and he barely caught the movement from the corner of his eye, before diving out of the way, skidding roughly along the ground and immediately jumping back up.

He felt a cold panic grip him, and did all he could to force it down, as he instinctively began stepping away from the creature before him…the Sagon.

At first glance, Harry almost thought it was a skeleton, but as the creature raised itself up, its shiny black eyes boring into him, he could see it was much more terrifying than that.

It had a gaunt, seemingly emaciated frame with pale, sickly, semi-transparent skin, and walked with a hunch. Its head was elongated, with thin, dark holes for its nose and mouth. But Harry could see it was strong, its wiry muscles showing with the creature's every movement.

His mind took all of this in within seconds however, before focusing on what was truly causing his near panicked state. Each of the creature's thin fingers ended in a two-foot-long claw, which were dragging on the ground in the Sagon's wake, as its arms hung at its sides. Harry noticed with faint horror, that the claws were stained…

Finally forcing himself to tear his gaze away from the Sagon, Harry looked around wildly, for something…anything…that might help him. He could go into the fog, but Pollux had asked the others if the Sagons were near…more than one…and he didn't fancy the idea of running around blind with more of these things…

Before another thought could even enter his mind, the Sagon lunged again; there had been no warning, no predatory growl. It was standing still one minute, and the next it made its move.

Harry let out an anguished cry as one of the steel-like claws ripped through him. He felt blood immediately soaking his clothes just under his ribcage, on the right…and wondered, distantly, if it had punctured his lung, as he began to gasp for air, feeling nauseas as he tasted the coppery liquid. The creature jerked its arm painfully free of him, and Harry at once tried to step away, but his vision was blurring, and he staggered drunkenly back and forth, sweat soaking his body as he shivered.

This was the end, he could feel it…and despite knowing full well there was no hope…none at all…that he would live through this…he held on. Part of him wanted nothing more than to give up…to lie down, crawl into a ball, and let the Sagon have him…but he refused.

A sudden stabbing pain in his stomach caused Harry to double over, falling to his knees as anguished tears began streaming down his face from the torture. He realized it didn't hurt as much this time, and wondered what the creature had hit…when he became dimly aware that the Sagon had not struck again.

Harry felt another searing streak tear through him…and another…and for the first time since he'd felt it nearly a year ago, was glad. It was happening…he was changing. The full moon had come at last.

For several long moments, Harry was aware of nothing other than the pain. He didn't know or care if the Sagon was closing in on him once again, because next to what he was feeling, it was of little importance.

Thick, coarse, dark hairs had begun to push through his skin, he could see it on his hands and feel it on his face. His body began to twist mercilessly, and Harry clenched his teeth against the screams fighting to be let out. His hands became gnarled, his fingertips bending themselves into his palms as the bones molded together, his knuckles grew out, and long, deadly claws sliced through from under his skin, becoming very large paws. His upper body grew tight, muscular, his bones continuing to grind agonizingly against and into one another, his clothes ripping and shredding with each passing second. His feet shifted painfully as well, tearing his shoes apart, while his lower half twisted and turned, becoming hind legs.

The throbbing in his head was glaringly escalated and his glasses slipped away, falling to the soft ground, as his face began to change. He couldn't hold it in any longer, letting out a tormented scream as his bones pushed out, elongating his jaw, his nose flattening and stretching to become a snout, his ears growing larger, his eyes rolling madly in his head…and near the end of it all, he experienced something he'd never felt before. Something was pushing at him, moving him away from himself…the pain slowly began to fade, but so did everything else. His vision blurred and darkened, the sounds he was making diminished, and after only seconds, everything was black, and Harry didn't have even the smallest amount of strength left to fight this feeling off. Harry Potter faded into unconsciousness, and the werewolf was born.

The Sagon had watched the transformation curiously, and was now staring readily at the animal before it. Raising its deadly claws, he prepared to attack.

The werewolf needed little time to become oriented with its surroundings, and took the creature standing nearby as an immediate threat. Baring its teeth, its piercing green eyes flashing hungrily, and paying no attention to the gaping wound on its own chest, the wolf let out a vicious snarl, before running forward, and leaping at the danger.

The Sagon struck as well, swinging out with its claws, catching the wolf on its left side and slamming it to the ground. The wolf yelped in pain, but was barely down for a second before it was back on its feet, and wasted no time before lunging once more.

The weight of the Sagon's enormous claws slowed its movements, and it wasn't prepared for this instant retaliation. A flash of fear went through its shiny black eyes, as the wolf let out a terrifying bellow and was upon him, taking him to the ground.

But the Sagon wouldn't give in so easily, attempting to continue with the momentum of the fall, hoping to roll the wolf off of him, or at least get him in an awkward position so that he might attack, but the wolf was ready. It latched its deadly fangs onto the Sagon's upper arm, pulling the creature with it as they rolled end over end, coming to a halt near the border of the fog.

Suddenly the Sagon emitted a noise, a high-pitched, ear-shattering scream, and the wolf yelped in pain, releasing its hold and ducking its head, trying madly to shield itself from the sound. It continued for over a minute, and when it finally went silent, the Sagon was back on its feet, ready once again to attack.

Still slightly disoriented, the wolf staggered back to its feet, looking up just in time to see the razor-sharp claws of the creature nearly upon him. Reacting at once, the wolf attempted to dodge, leaping to its right, but it was a second too late, howling in anguish as a sharp, searing pain ripped through its left hind leg.

The Sagon let out its own cry, sounding triumphant, and raised its other clawed hand to finish the deed, but the wolf was not about to give up, and with a startling burst of strength, tore free of the steel blade in its leg and turned, leaping ferociously into the air. The Sagon couldn't react quickly enough, a gleam of utter shock in its eyes as the wolf took him down.

The battle was over quickly then, as it is most impossible for any living creature to continue on without the use of its throat, and the wolf let out a triumphant howl as it stood over the lifeless body of the Saigon.

The victory celebration was short-lived, however, as the wolf immediately went silent, detecting movement from the surrounding fog.

Stepping back into the center of the clearing, alert and ready, the wolf waited for this new foe to show itself. It let out a low, rumbling growl, preparing itself to attack, when several figures emerged from the fog.

Sagons, six of them, stepped out from all directions, creeping along, hunched over, their claws scraping against the ground, dragging as they moved. The wolf turned in circles on the spot; waiting for one of them to move, ready to lunge. The Sagon nearest the dead body stared down at it through its shiny eyes, before letting out a scream of rage. They were too late; their comrade was already dead.

They turned on the beast that had murdered one of their own, howling and screaming, raising their claws and closing in on him. The wolf, full well knowing he was outnumbered, was prepared to go down fighting. Baring his teeth, he spun around, before sprinting forward, and lunging at the closest Sagon…but something happened.

A blue light lit the entire clearing, and the wolf simply stopped, hovering mid-leap and unable to get down. The Sagons had been halted as well, frozen where they stood, dangerously close to the wolf, but while they were entirely immobilized, the wolf continued to struggle, trying to free itself from the invisible hold.

A new figure, masked in shadows, appeared in the circle, seeming to rise up from within the ground, and immediately started towards the wolf. It reached the furious, snarling beast and simply glared at it hatefully, before raising a hand.

The wolf snapped its jaws, trying unsuccessfully to sink its teeth into this stranger's fingers, but with its limited movement, tasted only the air.

The shadow finally touched the wolf's coarse fur, and his hand started to glow. It was very pale at first, but soon becoming a deep blue…and then nearly black. The wolf felt a pulling sensation from within, like something was being sucked out of its being, before suddenly feeling a harsh, terrible twisting…as its bones began grinding against one another, and its flesh began stretching.

Harry was torn from his peaceful state of nothingness and thrust back into himself, a shock of pain and agony awaiting him. He couldn't even find the voice to scream as his mouth opened in a silent cry, while his arms and legs once again became human…his face shrunk back to its normal size, and his senses returned to him in full.

Fumbling around shakily, feeling cold and sick, Harry slowly glanced around through hazy vision, and began crawling towards the heap of rags that was his clothes, every tiny movement sending wave after wave of pain through him. The wound under his ribs was still bleeding, though not as badly as before, but now his left knee was in agony as well, having been shattered by the first Sagon's steel-like claws. He reached the pile, and pulled on the tattered garments as best he could, then began feeling around for his glasses.

Before he could find them, however, he felt someone take his arm, dragging him to his feet, and his glasses were thrust back into his hands. At first, Harry nearly collapsed right back to the ground, his legs buckling, unable to support his own weight, but whoever was holding him forced him to remain standing. As he shakily slipped the glasses on, Harry's jaw dropped in shock, seeing Castor's face glaring back at him.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice so dry and rough it was nearly inaudible. Castor made no reply however, and Harry watched as the world around them changed, the frozen circle of Sagons becoming the forest just outside the small village. Glancing up, Harry had to do a double take to assure himself he'd seen correctly. The full moon was still glowing brightly in the sky above.

"How?" he asked as Castor kept his grip tight, jerking him forward as they started into the trees.

"Quiet!" Castor spat, furiously, and would say nothing more. Harry didn't argue, standing had been bad enough, but being forced to walk on his injured leg was causing so much pain he thought he might pass out, and he began to see dark spots fading in and out of view. They moved silently back towards the village, and by the time they were nearly there, Harry was simply letting his left leg drag, lacking the strength to use it any longer.

The village seemed empty when they arrived, and Castor continued past the main clearing, forcing Harry forward ruthlessly, heading back towards the blue glow. But before they made it halfway there, a voice spoke up from just behind them, and it sounded most displeased.

"What have you done?" Pollux asked darkly, and Castor spun both he and Harry around, meeting the icy blue eyes of the older Shadow Walker.

"It wasn't enough," Castor spat angrily. "He deserves worse than that…"

"It would have been over now if you hadn't interfered!" Pollux hissed furiously.

"Which is exactly why I interfered!" Castor shouted back at him. "Why should he die in just minutes while we're going to suffer for years?!"

"So what is it you want then?" Pollux asked stiffly. "For him to live as long as we do?"

"No," Castor replied. "But long enough for him to wish he had died at the gate."

Pollux seemed to consider this for a moment, and Harry noticed other Shadow Walkers creeping into the clearing with them now, as well as several of the hooded figures he'd seen before. One of them started slowly towards Pollux, stopping just beside the old Shadow Walker, and he turned slightly. They spoke briefly, and Harry could see the figure gesturing towards him as it spoke, but he couldn't make out a word of their conversation, and could only feel cold dread, wondering what they would do to him.

"I'm bringing him down," Castor spoke up impatiently, not waiting for their discussion to end.

"Castor," Pollux began warningly, looking quickly away from the figure he was speaking with.

"If you want to discuss this, fine," Castor said sharply. "We'll talk while he's in the cellar…"

With that, Harry finally found his voice again.

"The cellar?" he asked warily, hating himself for allowing his voice to shake. He'd somehow lived through the Sagons, and was actually quite relieved he couldn't remember what happened, knowing he had no control over his actions as a werewolf…and now here he was, back to human form, the full moon blaring down on him…weak and bleeding…but somehow, alive…

"You stay silent!" Castor hissed, hatefully.

"Castor," Pollux began, acting as if Harry hadn't spoken. "What point is there in…?"

"You know he deserves this," Castor stated simply, then without waiting for a reply, he turned on the spot, dragging Harry along with him, moving quickly. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing no one moving to stop Castor. He wasn't entirely surprised, but hadn't exactly expected Pollux to let Castor just disobey him…as his impression of the situation was that Pollux was the cult's leader…

They moved towards the blue light again, but turned at the short path near the church instead, leading to the large double doors. Harry could only stare in confusion, having no idea what was going on as Castor pulled him into the enormous room beyond. There were pillars and arches…ceilings that stretched up at least sixty feet, beautiful stained glass windows…pews and confessionals…it appeared to be so peaceful, serene…just as any other church Harry had ever set foot in. He glanced nervously at Castor as they walked quickly towards the front of the church, but veered to the right before they reached the alter, and pushed through a black doorway, far off to the side.

Harry limped painfully down a flight of winding stairs while Castor refused to slow, when at last they came to the bottom, and there were three doors. Castor reached immediately for the one to his right, and Harry was brought into a very small room, lit dimly by seven candles that lined the walls. There was a door with a tiny rectangular slot in it just below eye level, and Harry knew before Castor began moving, that was his destination.

"Wait…" he began insistently.

"Have a nice rest," Castor replied icily, wrenching the door open and thrusting Harry forward. His shoulder slammed painfully into the wall much sooner than he expected to feel it, and Harry felt the wind of the door being slammed shut behind him, before a heavy lock was heaved into place on the opposite side.

His leg was screaming, and sweat was stinging his eyes, but he realized with dawning horror, as Castor's footsteps moved swiftly away, that he could do nothing about either one. The room he was in, if you could call it that, was barely as wide as he was…the walls were so tight around him he couldn't so much as lift his arms or bend his legs. It was like a standing coffin.

Feeling panic begin to take hold, Harry forced his quick breathing to even out; to slow down…it would only make things worse if he went that route. He tried to think of something else…anything…that would take away from the claustrophobic feeling of this box he was trapped in.

He wasn't sure what was worse, being left to the Sagons, or the dry, dark prison he was being forced to stand in…however…at least nothing in here was trying to kill him…he just had to last until they took him out…and he prayed it wouldn't be too long…

After several minutes, however, Harry's eyelids began to droop…he was overcome suddenly with the want…the need…to sleep…

Harry strained to keep his eyes open, knowing this wasn't right. He was tired…exhausted…more so than he'd ever been in his life, but the feeling of drowsiness that was creeping upon him now wasn't natural.

The little strength he had left, however, wasn't enough to fight this off, and seconds later, Harry's head rolled limply forward, coming to rest against the wall, as he faded into a fitful state of unconsciousness.

With a bright rush of colors, he was suddenly a little boy again, standing in the kitchen at Privet Drive. His aunt and uncle were yelling at him…he didn't know what for, but it was nothing he wasn't used to. They screamed angrily, telling him how useless he was, good for nothing, should never have been born, and it went on and on…but then the image changed.

His aunt and uncle became his mother and father, but the insults didn't stop, they only grew worse. The voices coming from his parents' mouths weren't their own, but that of Dumbledore and Sirius, and he shook his head sadly, pleading with them to take back their harsh words, promising he would change. They looked upon him with pitiless eyes however, saying they wished he'd died when he was supposed to…

Privet Drive vanished quickly, everything spinning to become Hogwarts, the very first day he'd ever been there. He was in the great hall for the sorting ceremony; only it was Snape calling out the names rather than McGonagall. When it was his turn, the potions master smiled maliciously at him, calling out snidely for all to hear: The boy who lived!

Harry glanced around nervously at all the eyes upon him, not wanting to go up to the front, but getting a push from the students around him. He slid anxiously onto the stool and Snape put the sorting hat down over his eyes. The conversation that played in his mind was exactly as before, only in the end, the hat didn't agree with him, and instead shouted out the name of Slytherin to the entire school.

Feeling his heart sink, he slipped woefully off the seat, glancing up at Snape, whose eyes were flashing hungrily, a triumphant gleam within them. Ron was staring at Harry in disgust as he passed, and before he could utter one word to his friend, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle surrounded him, ushering him towards his seat…at the Slytherin table. He stared miserably across the room, trying to ignore the taunting and jeering of those around him, when Dumbledore stood. The headmaster made his way silently towards Harry, everyone watching closely, and when he reached the young boy he leant down and whispered, his eyes twinkling: You'll do well in Slytherin, it is where you were meant to be…

The picture in his mind swirled out of focus, sliding into place again to show the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny was lying on the ground, barely breathing, and Tom Riddle stood nearby, holding tightly to his wand.

The basilisk was called, and while everything within him told him to run, Harry remained in place. He glanced at Tom Riddle, who was sneering wickedly at him, before turning to face the large serpent. The big yellow eyes were on him, but nothing happened…he didn't die, he wasn't petrified, and the snake seemed taken aback by this. Harry leapt at the opportunity, his heart racing.

He called out to the basilisk, and it listened. Glancing hatefully towards Tom Riddle…towards Voldemort, Harry set the serpent after him. The dark memory from the diary looked frightened, and stepped back quickly, all the while demanding the snake obey him, to no avail. When the large serpent was nearly upon him, a shrill cry erupted through the chamber…and it came from Ginny Weasley.

Harry spun to see the young girl had woken with a start, and was screaming at the top of her lungs for Harry to stop…he couldn't do this! Harry only stared back at her confused, not realizing the basilisk had set its eyes on a new target. The last thing he saw as the vision began to fade, was the head of the enormous serpent crashing hungrily down upon the small girl, her screams being instantly silenced…

Dementors surrounded him, while at the same time he stared at himself from behind the bushes, waiting for whoever had cast the Patronus to do it again. The sudden knowledge that it had been him came rushing to him with such speed he jumped out from his hiding place, and raised his wand, shouting out the words that would produce the silver charm.

But it never came. Instead, a figure clad in black emerged from the tip of his wand, and Harry stepped back fearfully, seeing he had just conjured another dementor before him. He immediately felt the horrible cold as the dementor reached towards him, and was overcome with weakness, hearing his mother's screams replaying in his mind. The dementor didn't try to kiss him though, instead, it turned him back to the see the other him, and Harry felt only cold despair.

His past self was passed out in the grip of the dementor holding him, and he watched in terror as the vile creature clamped its mouth over his own. Harry tried to look away, not wanting to watch his own soul being sucked out, but couldn't even blink as the scene before him continued to play…feeling his life draining away as the dementor performed its deadly kiss…

With a sudden jolt, the image was gone, and Harry could now see the graveyard before him…where he had witnessed Voldemort's rebirth. Wormtail was blubbering alongside the cauldron, cradling his stump against his chest, while Harry saw a figure rise from the cauldron for the second time…only it wasn't Voldemort. Harry's eyes widened in fright, as he saw his own eyes glaring back at him, glinting maliciously…

The image spun sickeningly, and he was in the forest with the Zlam…they were ready to kill him to reclaim their knowledge. Without thinking, the answer came to him…but this time he didn't disapparate.

The knowledge within him suddenly filled his mind, awakening from its dormant state and becoming part of him. He lashed out at the Zlam, Forden, Tytros…all of them. He used the knowledge, not caring that it was killing him, but unable to stand how unfairly he was being treated by these creatures who supposedly didn't take sides… Bodies were dropping everywhere…

Everything went dark, and Harry was standing before Voldemort; Lucius and Gridman on either side…Cho only a few feet away, crying. He wanted to comfort her, but no words left his mouth, and he watched emotionlessly as she was executed before his eyes, for the second time.

As she fell through the air, her lifeless form took on Remus' shape, and Harry saw him hit the floor hard, a sinewy tether protruding from his chest. Before a grief-stricken Harry could rush to his friend's side, it started over. Only this time Voldemort shot at Harry, and Remus knocked him out of the way, falling to the ground and becoming Cedric.

And over again, Voldemort cast the deadly curse at Cho, but this time Harry broke free…and he pushed Neville in the curse's path.

And again…he was in the room, Cho, Cedric, Neville and Remus stood before him…and Harry stared back at them blankly, raising the wand in his hand…

In the small closet under the church in the village of the Shadow Walkers, Harry Potter was ready to break. He was shaking uncontrollably and crying out from the torment, feeling a painful sob welling up in his chest. He wanted so badly to just give in, to let this force have him…but part of his mind knew what he was seeing wasn't real…and he clung to that part with everything he had…terrified of what would happen should he let it slip…

The door to the box he was imprisoned in was unexpectedly pulled open then, and Harry felt as if he was being ripped in two as someone dragged him out into the adjacent room He cried out in anguish, which was immediately stifled, covered by the relief washing over him. The images were vanishing as if they'd never even existed.

The person who'd released him from the cell was still holding him up, and Harry's true memory was woken with a start as the events of the past 24 hours came rushing back to him. He felt the person gently lowering him to the floor, propping his back up against the nearest wall, and Harry tried to thank them, beyond grateful for this small act of kindness, but his throat was too dry, and he began choking violently on his words.

"Take it easy," the person said quickly, seeming a bit apprehensive.

The voice registered in Harry's memory immediately, though he didn't believe his own ears…it simply couldn't be true…

Looking up, he saw the person was one of the dark, hooded figures he'd seen in the village, the ones Castor had been so concerned about, but he knew what he'd just heard, and when the coughing fit had finally passed, Harry didn't waste any time.

"Jack?" he asked, his voice dry and raspy as he strained to see a face under the hood. "Is that you?"


	13. Chapter 13

"It's me," came Jack's quiet reply. "But what I want to know is, who are you?"

"What…don't you…remember…?" Harry stammered, imploringly. "It's Harry…Harry Potter."

"Is that the truth?" Jack's voice asked curtly.

"It is," Harry breathed, finally beginning to take in normal amounts of air as his breathing became regular. "I swear it's me."

Jack nodded from beneath the shadows hiding his face, before slowly raising his hand, and lowering the hood. Harry was instantly relieved to see Jack still looked normal…he wasn't a Shadow Walker.

"We…Mel and I…we thought you were dead…" Harry said quietly.

"How is she?" Jack asked suddenly, a wave of sadness and hope washing over his face as he met Harry's eyes.

"She's fine…and she misses you terribly…" Harry replied sincerely, and then, for the first time in over a day, a small grin touched his lips. He had to tell Jack, he didn't know if there'd be another chance… "She's pregnant."

Jack didn't reply, as he stared evenly back at Harry, and only his eyes betrayed the shock that news had caused him. He looked away suddenly, standing up and crossing to the center of the room.

"I'm sorry," Harry said quickly, fearing he might just leave. "I didn't mean to upset you…but I didn't think it would be right to keep that a secret…"

"No, you didn't…" Jack began, his voice thick with emotion. "You didn't upset me." He slowly turned back around, his eyes glassy, but he was smiling slightly. "It's yours…I'm assuming?"

Harry nodded faintly, smiling.

"Yes."

"Then I have to figure out how to get you out of here," Jack said suddenly, his blue eyes flashing with determination. "I know I hurt my sister…and I'll regret it for the rest of my life…but I can't let her lose you too…"

"Why did you leave?" Harry asked quietly, unable to stop himself.

"Because the cult offered me something I've never had…a family who cares for me, not one that tolerates my existence because they'd feel guilty doing otherwise…"

"Mel cared for you," Harry said insistently.

"Yes, I know," Jack conceded softly, once again kneeling down beside Harry. "But I was a burden for her…even if she didn't see it that way, the sicker I became, the more time she would need to spend looking after me…and I didn't want her to watch me die."

"You're not dead though," Harry said, as if Jack didn't realize this fact. "She told me that you wouldn't make it past the summer…and now it's spring…"

"Yes well, that was something else I was offered by coming here…" Jack explained, "A life…a very long life…"

"You mean…you're cured?" Harry asked.

"Not exactly," Jack replied, shaking his head. "But the cancer is spreading much slower now…and if the Orb is found, it will become so slow that I might actually live a full life before it becomes too much…"

"Then…you're accepting the help of magic users…" Harry began, remembering how adamant Jack had been about not doing just that.

"No, I'm accepting the help of my family," Jack said firmly. Then, seeing the skeptical look in Harry's eyes, continued. "I don't expect you to understand…I've seen how horribly they've treated you, but to me, they've been generous and kind…"

"How did you meet them?" Harry asked, realizing Jack had decided to leave very soon after he and Mel had first encountered the Shadow Walkers.

"They came to my house," Jack said simply. "They said they happened to find me by chance, and offered me…a family. I was skeptical at first…I thought it might be a trick my parents were trying to make sure I did what they wanted…but it didn't seem that way. They weren't offering a cure, just a home…the only time my illness was brought up was when I asked about it…"

"Why didn't you say anything?" Harry asked quietly. "You just left…"

"They told me I couldn't," Jack shook his head, sadly. "I couldn't tell anyone about them…I wouldn't even be telling you right now, but obviously, you already know they exist…"

Harry nodded faintly, realizing with sudden certainty that it was his fault Jack had left. He and Mel went back to her house after the first attack from the cult…and as it was still in the muggle world, the shadows must have tracked him back there, but he had already left when they arrived, and so instead of him, they found Jack.

"Is this it then?" Harry asked. "You can never go back?"

"If I wanted to, they wouldn't stop me," Jack said flatly, giving Harry the definite impression that he wasn't even considering that option.

"Castor said you were dying," Harry began. "I saw you up in the village…there were a few people in hooded cloaks…"

"Halflings," Jack said quickly. "We've started to change, but it won't be complete without the Orb."

"How long do you have left…I mean…until…?" Harry stammered.

"We don't know exactly," Jack said, understanding. "All we do know, is that it could be anytime within a year from when we started our transformation. For me, I have as long as four months left…if the Orb isn't found by then…"

"So the Orb was missing all that time ago?" Harry asked.

"It was missing before they came to me, yes."

"Then why did you agree? Knowing you would die without it…"

"Because I was already dying!" Jack said fiercely. "What did I have to lose? At least this way I got to live a little bit longer."

Harry was silent, somewhat understanding Jack's reasoning…and wishing he would have known about this long before now.

"I like it here, Harry," Jack said at last. "I can do anything I did before…and if I ever get to complete my change…I'll have powers…for the first time in my life, I'll be able to do magic…"

"They can do that…?" Harry asked, his eyes widening.

"Not the way that you or Mel can use it, no," Jack said quickly. "But I'll be able to use the shadows…to go anywhere I wish-"

He cut off suddenly as the sound of footsteps slowly descending the stairs outside the room reached their ears. Harry inhaled sharply, looking fearfully at the door, entirely certain it would burst open any second, and Castor would come storming into the room…

The muffled sound of someone's voice called out suddenly, and the footsteps halted. Harry waited, barely breathing, as there was a conversation…or an argument, he couldn't tell which…and after several minutes, the footsteps retreated forcefully, back up the steps.

Letting out a shaky breath, he looked up as Jack spoke quietly.

"That was close…I don't know how much time we have…I'm sure they'll want to send someone to check on you after all this time…"

"How long have I been here?" Harry asked, looking around the dark, windowless room, shuddering as his eyes passed over the door to the cell he'd been locked in.

"They left you in there all night," Jack said, uncomfortably, averting his eyes. "Seven or eight hours, I think…this was the first I could get to you without anyone knowing…"

"Wait…you snuck down here?" Harry asked fearfully. "Jack you can't…if they find out…"

"I don't care," Jack cut him off quickly. "They'll get mad at me, but they won't do anything…"

"If you help me escape…" Harry began, insistently. "Jack they'll say you're a traitor…"

"So what should I do?" Jack stated, not really asking. "Would it be better if I put you back in the cell? Leave you there until Pollux and Castor decide to come for you?"

Harry's eyes dropped to his hands, and he shook his head helplessly. He couldn't ask Jack to do this for him…but the alternative was enough to send an icy chill down his spine. He could no longer remember the images he'd seen, but the terrifying feeling that had gripped him was still clear in his memory.

"Maybe you could talk to them," Harry said quietly. "Tell them you know I'm not Jared."

"I did," Jack said, dismally. "I went to Pollux the moment I had a clear look at you…he said I was only using my eyes. If I was fully transformed I'd be able to use your scent to know for sure. That's why I had to ask you myself…I needed to see your eyes when you answered me."

"Thank you for believing me," Harry said, for what it was worth. He appreciated this more than Jack knew, but he still didn't see any way out. Jack couldn't use the shadows to travel the way Pollux and Castor could…and then there were his injuries. Harry knew his leg was broken, shattered at the knee…and the wound under his ribs, while it had stopped bleeding, was a numb ache at the moment…which he knew would change if he attempted to move.

"If I can get you out of here without anyone seeing us…we could hide in the woods until we reach the gate…" Jack began.

"Even if we did, do you know how to get past the fog?" Harry asked, shuddering at the thought of coming face to face with another Sagon. The sudden memory however, caused him to remember his transformation…

"Jack…do you know how Castor changed me back?" he asked quickly.

"From when you became a wolf?" Jack asked, continuing quickly. "I can't say for certain…I don't have their powers yet. I know that they have definite abilities to work with transformations…they can manipulate things like that…but I don't know how…"

"Did they get rid of it?" Harry asked quickly. "Will I change any more?"

"I doubt he removed it," Jack said, shrugging apologetically. "But as I said, I don't know…and they were very unwilling to tell me much about you other than what I've already said…"

Harry nodded, thanking him for the information, and leant his head back against the hard, stone wall.

"I'll go upstairs and have a look around," Jack said then. "If it's clear, I'll try getting you out now…better to get it done before it starts getting light out…"

"You never answered my question from before," Harry said quietly. "Do you know how to get through the fog?"

Jack was silent for a long moment, and Harry knew with cold certainty what the answer was.

"It's the only way out," Jack said at last, shrugging helplessly.

Harry nodded numbly, trying not to think about the creatures living in the mist at the gate…chances were, they would never make it that far anyway.

Jack turned then, heading silently for the door, and as he reached out for the handle a blinding flash of light filled the room. Harry raised his arm, trying to shield his eyes, and as the light dimmed, he blinked his vision back into focus, shocked at the sight before him.

"Sirius…" he breathed in joyous disbelief, seeing his godfather had appeared in the room with them. Harry's hand instantly went to his pocket to find he had brought his watch with him. He couldn't help but quietly laugh to himself, filled with such relief as he had never felt in all his life, as his godfather rushed to his side, his face a mask of worry and fear.

"Oh my…God…Harry," Sirius stammered, staring in horror at the state his godson was in, his bloody tattered clothes, and the all-too-visible wounds. He quickly raised his wand, which was already in his hand, aiming it at Harry. "Retrievo."

"Who are you?" Jack spoke up then, and Sirius whirled on him, fury in his eyes, looking about ready to murder whoever this person was.

"Sirius, no!" Harry cried suddenly, fearing for Jack's life. "He was trying to get me out…"

Sirius didn't look convinced, but as the charm from the watch only gave him one full minute, he didn't argue the matter. Keeping his wand trained on Jack, he leant down and put an arm around Harry's back, helping him gingerly to his feet.

Wincing in pain as fresh agony shot through him, Harry managed to lock eyes with Jack in the last remaining seconds…

"Thank you…I won't forget this…and I will find the Orb…no matter what it takes…"

He barely caught the movement of Jack nodding in reply, before another bright flash of light filled the room, and the shadow world was left behind.

When the light faded this time, Harry immediately recognized Minerva's office, before the stabbing pain in his knee caught up with him, and he collapsed in Sirius' arms, unable to support his weight any longer.

"Thank goodness!" McGonagall's voice cried at once, and Harry saw her through blurry vision coming up to he and Sirius. "Sirius!" she gasped, getting a good look at Harry's injuries. "He has to be brought to the hospital wing at once!"

"I know," Sirius said grimly, waiting as McGonagall conjured a stretcher, which Harry was gently placed upon.

"Sirius…" Harry began weakly, "we have to…"

"No Harry, not yet," Sirius interrupted firmly, his pale face etched with concern and sadness. "We're taking care of you first…everything else can wait."

Harry nodded faintly, too tired to fight with his godfather, and thinking he was probably right. He glanced around the office as the stretcher moved easily towards the door, seeing it was empty. He wondered if his friends were there…if they'd been out looking for him…and he wanted very badly to see Mel right now…

The trip down to the hospital wing was quick, and Harry was glad it was so early; most of the students were probably still asleep, so the corridors were empty and silent.

Madam Pomfrey was waiting, as McGonagall had informed her they might be coming, and immediately took control of the stretcher, directing Harry back to one of the beds.

Minerva and Sirius came with her, watching as she gingerly pulled the bloody, torn shreds away from Harry's chest wound. Harry winced; squeezing his eyes shut, and felt someone grasp his left hand. He looked, and found his godfather at his side, trying to give him a reassuring smile, but Harry could see how horrible Sirius looked. He wondered if his godfather had slept at all while he was gone, and guessed it wasn't likely. His hair was messy, there were bags under his eyes, and despite the firm hold he had on his godson's hand, Harry could feel him shaking.

"It's alright Sirius," Harry whispered. "I'm alright."

Sirius looked at him, forlornly, before shaking his head faintly and lowering his eyes. A lump rose in his throat, which he pushed down forcefully, before letting out an unsteady breath.

"We'll talk about it later," Sirius finally replied, his voice shaking before he cleared his throat curtly, and continued. "We need to get you all healed up first," he said, attempting a grin.

Madam Pomfrey needed him to sit up slightly, and both she and Sirius helped Harry out of his clothes and into a hospital gown, before letting him rest against the pillows once more. Minerva excused herself then, whispering briefly with Sirius before exiting the hospital wing.

"My watch," Harry said quickly, seeing Sirius about to toss the bundle of rags, and he pulled the small gold piece out of the pants pocket, handing it back to his godson. Harry took it gratefully, before speaking again. "Where's Mel? Is she alright?"

"She's very worried," Sirius replied. "Everyone is. I asked them to wait back at the house though…I wasn't sure what…what state you'd be in…when I found you…" he stammered, his gaze faltering for a moment. "I didn't want them crowding you…Minerva's gone to let them know though, they'll be here when you wake up…if that's what you want."

"Yes, please," Harry said, nodding weakly, almost yearning to see them…only a short while ago…he had nearly accepted the fact that he'd never see his friends again…

Madam Pomfrey had moved on to inspecting his knee now, and was just finishing as Harry finally set his watch on the bedside table. She left his side briefly and returned with a very familiar looking potion.

"It's best for you to sleep while I take care of these," she explained gently, smiling reassuringly. Harry took the potion from her, discovering he was actually looking forward to a dreamless sleep, and took a long gulp of it, feeling his eyes begin to droop pleasantly. As he pulled it away from his lips, however, a sudden thought struck him.

"Sirius," he said quickly, the urgency he felt lost in the sleepiness already overcoming him. "Troy…he…" but Harry was asleep before he could finish, and could say no more.

As Harry slowly came back to consciousness, he gradually opened his eyes, seeing everything around him looked hazy and out of focus. For the briefest of moments, he felt a cold fear seeping in, remembering the fog and the shadows…until everything finally came back to him with a rush of relief. Sirius had come for him…he was back at Hogwarts…and the only reason he couldn't see clearly was because he wasn't wearing his glasses.

Slowly extending his left hand towards the table just beside his bed, Harry heard muffled voices very nearby. He grasped his glasses and slipped them on, seeing the curtains had been drawn around his bed, and the light that shone against them was muted, leaving him in comfortable darkness.

A soft stirring to his right caused Harry to turn, and a large smile spread across his face as he saw Mel, sitting half in her chair, half leaning against his bed, and slowly opening her eyes.

"Good morning beautiful," he whispered as her groggy gaze finally focused on him. Her eyes were drawn and red, but they lit up immediately upon seeing Harry awake, and she was out of her seat in an instant, throwing her arms around his neck, and holding him tightly.

He felt the smallest twinge of pain from where he'd been stabbed, but he paid no attention, loving this feeling, never wanting to let her go. The small bulge of her stomach pressed against him, and he felt only a surge of pride…and happiness…he would still be around to see his child born…

When Mel finally pulled away, her face was streaked with tears, which Harry gently wiped away.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"Me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She swallowed hard, her voice starting to hitch as she went on. "I'm fine! But…Harry…w-what happened?" she sobbed, her shoulders trembling as she started to cry. Harry pulled her to him again, and her shaky voice was muffled against his shoulder. "N-no one knew where you were…we c-couldn't find you…and then…Draco…"

"Is he alright?" Harry cut in, suddenly concerned. He hadn't thought about Draco during any of what had happened…but realized now he must have been in terrible pain.

"He's here," Mel nodded weakly, sitting back and looking into his eyes. "But Madam Pomfrey couldn't do anything for him…everything she tried just had no effect…"

Harry nodded, knowing that would be the case any time Draco was feeling his own pain. Before he could say anything else however, Harry noticed the voices that he'd heard outside the curtains had stopped, and seconds later, they were drawn back, letting in a splash of light.

"Harry!" Hermione's voice cried happily, and Harry felt someone else hugging him fiercely as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.

"It's good to see you too," Harry laughed as Hermione finally released him. He could see Ron was there also, as well as Sirius, Marzia and…"

"Snape," Harry said, before he could stop himself…he was just so surprised to see the potions master there.

The dark man looked back at him intently, his lips pressed into a thin white line, before he finally took a small step closer, and spoke, quietly.

"Are you feeling better, after your rest?" he asked stiffly.

Harry nodded slowly, his hand instinctively going to where the wound under his ribs had been, but felt only bandages.

"Yes, thank you."

"You look much better," Sirius smiled faintly, still looking ragged and worn as he came up to Harry's bedside. "Did you get enough sleep?"

"I think so," Harry nodded, though inside he felt quite tired still, it could wait. "What time is it?"

"Just after noon," Ron spoke up then, and Harry noticed he, as did just about everyone else there, looked a mixture of tired, hungry, pale, worried, and relieved.

"I'm sorry to have put you all through this," Harry said quietly, feeling suddenly guilty.

"We're just glad you're safe," Marzia said, stepping up beside Sirius and taking one of Harry's hands reassuringly. "And if you're well enough…" she trailed off, looking as though she knew he wouldn't want to hear the next part.

"I'll tell you what happened," Harry said, nodding faintly. He'd never wanted anything less in his life, but knew it was unavoidable…when suddenly, the urgent thought that had struck him just after he'd drank the potion came rushing back. "Where's Troy?" he asked, looking up at Sirius, and shifting his gaze swiftly to Snape, anxiously.

"We don't know," Sirius said quietly. "I heard you say his name this morning…just before you fell asleep, and tried to find him. But he isn't in the school as far as we know."

"They said he'd be back this morning," Harry said, confused.

"Who did?" Sirius and Snape asked in unison.

"Adrik and Oren," Harry replied.

"Is that who did this to you?" Sirius asked, sounding rather calm, but his eyes showing how clearly livid he was.

"No," Harry replied, "They just…" he trailed off, shaking his head, "Let me start from the beginning…"

For over two hours, Harry talked, retelling the events of the last day and a half. Getting through all that had happened while following Troy, and speaking with Adrik and Oren had been easy enough…it was after that, that he had trouble.

He spoke quickly, stumbling over his words, needing to get it all out, and clasping his hands together fiercely to try to hide the fact that he was shaking. No one interrupted as he spoke of hearing the noises from the fog, the arrival in the village, the discussion with Pollux near the platform, and finally, being left for the Sagons. His friends sat listening in stony silence, seated around his bed, except for Mel who was just beside him, her arms linked through his as he spoke.

After managing to get through the transformation to and back from a werewolf, decidedly glad he couldn't remember anything that had occurred while he had been changed, though knowing that must've been where his knee was injured, he rushed on to the next argument between Castor and Pollux, and seeing the figures in the hooded cloaks again.

The cell he'd been locked in had been a terrifying experience, and despite not remembering anything specific about the images, his voice caught in his throat just thinking about the hopelessness that had very nearly overcome him…until he was pulled out… It was then that his voice faltered entirely, and he looked uncomfortably down at his hands.

"I think you've been through enough," Sirius spoke up then, his tone barely audible and his voice sounding strained. "You don't have to tell us any-"

"No, I'm fine," Harry whispered, trying to look reassuringly at his godfather, who'd begun to stand, ready to usher everyone out. If he didn't say this now, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to.

"Someone pulled me out," Harry said again. "They let me sit down…they…they weren't there to hurt me…"

"One of the Shadow Walkers?" Marzia asked, sounding surprised that any of the cult would show Harry even the smallest amount of kindness.

"No," Harry shook his head slowly. "Not yet at least…" he trailed off, sighing inaudibly. He just had to say it; there was no easy way around it. "It was one of the figures in the dark cloaks," he said, turning and looking to Mel, his gaze locking with hers. "It was Jack."

Mel's eyes widened in shock, and she shook her head quickly, insistently.

"No…" she whispered.

"It was him, Mel," Harry nodded gently, grasping her hands in his as she continued to deny it.

"He…no…he's dead…it couldn't have…no…" she stammered, her voice hitching as fresh tears sprung to her eyes. Harry let go of her hands, pulling her into his embrace as she began to sob against his chest.

"Mel, I'm sorry…" Harry began, having no idea what to say.

"Why? Why would h-he do that?" she cried. "Why would he l-l-leave me…for them?"

"Shhh, it's alright," Harry cooed, rocking her back and forth tenderly, feeling everyone's eyes upon them. He could hear Hermione crying softly, and glanced to see her wiping at her eyes, while Ron sat beside her in shocked silence. Snape's features were unreadable, and Sirius looked sadly at Mel, while Marzia looked as if she wanted to rush to her side, but instead let Harry comfort her. No one knew how to respond to this. None of them had ever met Jack, they'd only heard about him from Harry or Mel.

"What happened?" Mel finally asked, shakily. "You said he didn't try to hurt you…right?" she asked, pleadingly.

"Right," Harry nodded softly. "He let me out of the cell…and we talked."

It didn't take Harry long to finish telling them of his conversation with Jack, and when he was finally finished, he actually felt much better, as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. Taking a deep breath and looking around the room, he waited, knowing there would probably be questions. Everyone had been kind enough to let him keep going with as little interruption as possible, but now they had much to discuss…and he still wanted to know where Troy was…

"Why would the cult think you were Jared?" Hermione spoke up first, asking the question that had been bothering Harry above all else.

"Honestly," Ron added, sounding annoyed. "If they're supposed to be able to track things so flawlessly…how'd they mess up this badly?"

"Guys, I'm not sure this is the time…" Sirius began, concernedly. "He needs to rest…"

"Sirius, it's alright," Harry assured him, doing an excellent job of masking his fatigue. He was getting tired again, but this conversation had to happen…soon.

"Harry, you've been through too much…" Sirius began to argue.

"Why don't you let him decide for himself?" Snape spoke up then, almost daring Sirius to argue with him, which of course, he did.

"Who are you to say anything in this matter?" Sirius hissed, whirling furiously on the potions master. "If you hadn't decided to simply leave the school two nights ago, Harry would never have had to go through what he did!"

"Sirius, stop…it's not his fault!" Harry said loudly. Though he was surprised to see the look in Snape's eyes…they had dropped quickly to stare at the floor. He looked as if he felt guilty…

"I'm going to check on Mr. Malfoy," Snape said curtly, straightening himself up at once and glaring indignantly at Sirius. "And then I need to make sure his potion is ready," he continued, gesturing towards Harry, who realized he still had two nights of the full moon left. He wondered again…if he would change…

Snape began walking away quickly, not sparing them a second glance, and part of Harry wished he would stay. He still needed to talk with the potions master…about the crystals.

Sirius turned back to the others, his eyes still clearly showing the anger he harbored for Snape, but they softened some as they fell upon Harry.

"Harry…" he began.

"Sirius, we need to talk about this," Harry said with as much determination as he could muster in his tired state. "There's more going on than any of us thought…plus now we know that Thurston was the one to frame Albus…and his witness is a fake, because Ewan is really Oren…"

"Proving that might be difficult, though," Marzia spoke up quietly. "What it comes down to is our word against his, we have nothing solid to show Thurston is behind this."

"What about Oren?" Hermione asked. "Surely if it's revealed he's a death eater…"

"Again, our word against his," Marzia stated grimly. "Oren Alcott was never a part of any trials after Voldemort first fell…he was never accused…and so there's no record on him at all."

"So then we still have nothing," Ron said in angry disbelief. "A full on confession by the person who really framed Dumbledore and it does us no good!"

"There's a file for Ewan at the ministry, isn't there?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Marzia nodded.

"Very unorganized though," Sirius added, and Harry remembered them telling him it had been hastily written.

"Well, maybe since Thurston was in such a hurry to make sure there was a Ewan Norwood on record as being an employee, he could've messed up when he put the file together. If we can prove the file is false…"

"Could work," Marzia nodded, exchanging glances with Sirius. "We'll have to look into it…"

"I wonder what he meant though," Ron spoke up again. "You said that Oren told you Travis messed everything up…"

"I'm not sure," Harry shook his head. "He wouldn't tell me anything after that…" he trailed off, letting his eyes fall to his right wrist, where the mark of the cult was still showing, pale blue against his skin, though much dimmer than before. Travis had had the mark…so did Caleb…and Harry had been thinking on and off about this ever since he'd learned the cult's Orb was missing…

"Remember the picture in the Daily Prophet?" he asked quietly. "The one of Dumbledore's office?"

"The one with the painting?" Ron asked.

"And the crystal ball," Hermione added, catching on to what Harry was saying right away. Harry nodded.

"I don't know how…but there has to be a connection," he said slowly. Travis broke the crystal ball, and then there it is in the picture…the Shadow Walkers' Orb was stolen…and Travis ends up with their mark on his arm."

"Caleb had that mark as well though," Ron pointed out. "No one reported seeing any crystal ball near him…"

"I didn't say I knew how it connected, Ron," Harry said wryly. "I just believe it does…somehow…"

"What if the crystal ball in the picture…" Mel spoke up in a small voice after having remained silent for the duration of the conversation. "What if that's actually the Orb?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged quick glances.

"You…you might be onto something there…" Harry said, smirking.

"That would mean someone smuggled the Orb into Dumbledore's office though," Sirius spoke up quickly. "I doubt he wouldn't catch that…"

"But he said he was in and out of his office all night that night, remember?" Hermione spoke up suddenly. "Someone could've put it in there while he wasn't there…"

"Something as powerful as the Orb would give off as much energy as Dumbledore himself would," Marzia stated quickly. "He'd know it was in the building before it ever reached his office."

"The robes!" Harry and Ron cried in unison, exchanging brief glances with one another and smiling.

"Of course!" Hermione cried, realizing what they meant. "The robes in the closet, the ones Ewan…er…Oren…didn't want us to see! They don't let you sense the magic of whoever is wearing them!"

"So someone wrapped the Orb in them," Harry continued. "Then they could've just put it in the office at any point during the night while Dumbledore was downstairs."

"Probably the last time he went down," Marzia interjected.

"And when he came back, he would most likely have been be too concerned with Travis…and then hearing someone in the office with him…to think about what the Orb was doing there," Hermione said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, this all makes sense, except for one thing," Sirius spoke up then, waiting until all eyes were upon him to continue. "How is it that Travis messed things up? Sounds to me like things went as planned…"

Everyone was silent for a minute, realizing he had a good point.

"Maybe…well, since Travis broke the crystal ball…it means there was no reason for there to be one in the picture in the paper?" Ron suggested weakly.

"Doesn't seem to have hurt their case any, does it?" Sirius asked. "No one knew Dumbledore's crystal ball had been broken, the majority of the wizarding world hadn't seen his office before that picture…so the crystal ball being seen in it, after it was broken, meant nothing to those that had no idea about it. The people that did know might just assume he got a new one anyway…"

"Then that can't be what Oren was talking about," Mel said seriously. "Travis must've done something else to have messed things up for him…"

After several minutes, Harry shook his head with a sigh, and sat back against the pillows.

"Unless their intention was something other than framing Dumbledore for murder," he began dismally, "then I have no idea how Travis interfered with their plans…"

"There has to be something we're missing," Hermione said, her brow knitted in concentration.

"It might help, if we knew how the Orb worked," Sirius interjected then. "All we know is Travis had the mark on his wrist…"

"And Simone didn't," Marzia added.

"Wait!" Harry cried, sitting up with a jolt, ignoring the twinges under his ribs as he did so. "When I was talking with Pollux…he made the mark reappear on my wrist, and said it never would have appeared if I hadn't at least touched the Orb. Maybe Travis touched the Orb…maybe the mark on his wrist wasn't from a potion!"

"It takes more than touching the Orb to become a Shadow Walker, Harry," Marzia said quietly.

"But Travis didn't become a Shadow Walker," Harry argued. "Neither did I…though we both have the mark…"

"You never touched the Orb though," Mel pointed out. "The Lestranges made you drink that potion…"

"I know," Harry nodded, remembering back to that night, concentrating hard. He'd not seen anything that resembled what he assumed the Orb would look like, though the blue flame he'd drunk looked much like the fire Pollux had forced his wrist into…and then, just before the Lestranges had left…

"Adrik sent Lilith into the kitchen, remember?" Harry said suddenly.

"Yeah but she came out carrying a sack," Ron shrugged, showing how little help he considered that to be.

"What do you suppose was in it?" Harry asked, having a very definite idea in his head.

"The Orb…it must've been!" Hermione exclaimed, almost excitedly.

"Even if it was, Harry still didn't touch it!" Ron pointed out, sounding as if that should be obvious.

"But he used whatever was in there for the potion," Mel said quickly. "I saw Adrik take something out of the sack, but I couldn't see what. Then he had a small piece of wire…or metal…something like that…I don't know what he did with it though…"

"Whatever it was, it must've been the Orb he used," Harry said, feeling that had to be it. There was no other explanation.

"So then you might've touched the Orb after all," Hermione said. "By way of the potion."

"That's what I'm guessing," Harry said confidently.

"Then Caleb must've been somehow forced…or tricked, into touching it as well, the night he died," Mel said quietly.

"And Travis would just touch anything," Harry added, a small grin touching his lips as he thought of Dumbledore's nephew. What had happened to him was more than unfair.

"Wait a minute," Hermione said loudly, glancing around at all the eyes that immediately fell upon her. "We all know Travis would touch anything…but maybe Oren didn't know that…"

"So?" Ron asked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well we know for Travis to have gotten that mark, he must've touched the Orb," Hermione explained quickly, the others nodding, waiting anxiously for her to continue, and finally, she did.

"What if it wasn't Travis who was supposed to have touched it?"

"Well if not Travis then who?" Ron asked. "I don't even see how having the mark of the cult matters…with or without it, he was still murdered."

"And why go through all the trouble of smuggling the Orb in in the first place?" Sirius asked. "Even if Dumbledore was meant to touch it…to receive the mark…how would that change anything that's happened?"

"Like you said," Hermione began quietly, looking at Sirius. "It would help to know how the Orb works first…"

Harry nodded slowly; wishing he'd been able to get more information from Pollux on the Orb while he'd had the chance…though he doubted very much the Shadow Walker would have been willing to share…

"What if…" Hermione began slowly, uncertainly, before shaking her head and beginning again. "Remember what Dumbledore said to us…the day after we found out about Professor Alcott?"

"That he was going to look into it more?" Ron suggested, not seeing where Hermione was going with this.

"And that there were doubts as to how the professor had died," Hermione stated. "They weren't sure it was the killing curse. Then with Travis…Dumbledore saw the blue light, not a green one…just before he found him…so again, not the killing curse…"

"They're using the Orb to kill," Marzia spoke up quietly, a definite certainty in her voice. "Somehow…they've figured out how to use it…"

"Why go through all of that trouble?" Sirius asked as if the idea were ludicrous. "Why steal the Orb from the cult, knowing the Shadow Walkers would go after whoever stole it…"

"Because it wasn't Travis that they wanted dead," Harry said quickly, filled with sudden understanding. "They wanted Dumbledore to touch it…he's who they wanted dead…and Travis ruined that by touching it first."

"Are we sure that's all there is to it?" Sirius asked, skeptically. "Just by touching it…"

"And still, that's a lot of trouble to go through…stealing the Orb…" Ron began, looking unconvinced.

"Dumbledore is very powerful, Ron," Harry said quietly. "If Voldemort wasn't killed when he was hit by Avada Kedavra…maybe Dumbledore wouldn't be either. The Orb was probably their way to ensure their plan worked…"

"So they stole the Orb," Ron began again, "knowing full well the cult would want their blood…"

"And they made sure to fix that by blaming it on Harry," Hermione cut in quickly. "The cult thinks Harry stole the Orb…"

"But why do they think he's Jared?" Mel asked then. "Was that part of Adrik's potion too?"

"I don't see how," Harry said, shaking his head slowly. "How would I get Jared's scent…someone who's been dead for fifty-four years…by drinking a potion?"

Everyone shook their heads, no one having any idea.

"Well, one thing is for sure," Hermione spoke up after the brief silence. "At least now we know Jared was a Shadow Walker," she paused, turning to face Harry. "The cult expected you would have their mark already…they expected you would know things that you had no idea about…and since they thought you were Jared, he must've been one of them."

"But now we also have a bigger question," Marzia spoke up grimly. "What could Thurston have done…because it must have been one enormous favor…that would make Adrik and Oren agree to steal the Orb and try to use it to murder Dumbledore?"

For several moments, there was only silence…but no one could think of anything that might answer that question. Harry could remember Marzia telling him during their first conversation about the Shadow Walkers that stealing the Orb would be nearly impossible. So naturally, Adrik and Oren would have wanted sufficient reimbursement for such a task.

"We don't have enough information yet," Hermione sighed at last.

"And even with all of this, provided any of it is correct, we still have nothing solid to prove Thurston's guilt," Sirius spoke up darkly. "If we could prove Travis wasn't killed by Avada Kedavra, we would still need the Orb to show what did cause his death, and then we'd have to prove Dumbledore hadn't had it there all along. The fact that Simone definitely was killed by that curse, and that when tested, it was shown that Avada Kedavra was the last thing cast by Dumbledore's wand, doesn't help matters any."

"Oh I'm sure the cult would be all too thrilled to lend us the Orb after we somehow find it for them so we could use it as evidence in the trial," Ron spoke up dismally. "That's about as likely as Thurston giving us a full confession…"

"Did you find anything else out about the mark under the painting?" Harry asked suddenly, as they hadn't spoke of it in a while.

"We should know whose wand it's from and what curse was used in the next day or so," Sirius replied, a small smile touching his lips. At least something was going right.

It was then, however, that Madam Pomfrey decided Harry had had enough visiting for the day, and he needed to rest again. One by one, Harry's friends slowly filtered out of the hospital wing. Ron and Hermione were on their way back home, but said they would stop back the next day. Mel was going back to Harry's house with Marzia, and Sirius was going to remain at the school, though he left for the time being, to give Harry his time to recuperate.

As sunset grew closer, Harry dozed on and off while resting peacefully against the soft pillows. He tried not to think about all of the recent events, and simply concentrate on figuring out how to help Dumbledore, but as Sirius and Marzia had said, there was no solid proof.

Harry wondered, once again, how Troy was really involved in all of this. The transfiguration professor had never even pretended to like him, and if he truly was a Shadow Walker, then that made sense, as the entire race obviously hated him…but Troy knew who he was. He knew Harry wasn't Jared, and could have told the rest of the cult this at any time…and if Troy been there to try to capture him, why did he never attempt it? If he was a Shadow Walker, why did it seem he didn't want what the rest of them wanted?

Or had the mark on Troy's wrist simply been another fake? Harry glanced down once more, to see the mark on his own wrist still had yet to fade, and was now simply a blue outline on his skin. If Adrik had given the mark to Troy, what purpose did it serve? Or if somehow Troy wasn't working with them…why did they say he would be back for classes again?

But he isn't back, Harry thought uneasily to himself, wondering if it was due to the fact that Troy realized he would not be receiving a friendly welcome, or if Adrik and Oren had decided it was better not to let him return…

As he thought of Troy, Harry's thoughts drifted to the night he'd seen the transfiguration professor in Hogsmeade…and the reason he'd been there in the first place. The crystals. He wondered if Snape would be able to help him…or be willing to help him for that matter. The Shadow Walkers would definitely not stop looking for him, and without the crystals…Harry didn't think his luck would hold out for another encounter with the cult.

Harry didn't hear the quiet footsteps nearing his bed until just seconds before the curtains were pulled back.

"Professor Snape," he said, offering a small smile, seeing the potions master staring back at him.

"Just wanted to make sure you had this in time," Snape replied briskly, holding a tall glass out to him. Harry recognized the potion right away, and glanced towards the window. He had an hour at best before sunset.

"Thank you," he said taking the glass. Snape nodded, and started to turn away. "Professor Snape?" Harry called after him quickly. "Could I…talk to you…for a moment?"

Snape stiffened, stopping in his tracks, seeming to contemplate his choices, before slowly turning back around.

"Yes, Potter?" he asked quietly. "What is it?"

"I wanted to ask about the crystals," Harry said quickly, wanting to say it before he could stop himself. "What should we do…how do we find them?"

"We'll talk about it another time…"

"Why another time?" Harry asked, sitting up further in his bed. "Don't you think it's important to get them back right away?"

"We know Adrik took them," Snape began curtly, "you said Oren told you this…and we know they can't use them."

"But I can't use them either!" Harry said earnestly. "And you're right, I don't know of any way that Adrik, Lilith, Oren or anyone else could use them right now…but when I spoke to him in the car he acted like it wouldn't be a problem…"

"He was just trying to scare you…" Snape said with a casual wave of his hand.

"For what?" Harry asked, his eyes growing wide. "As far as he was concerned I wasn't even going to be alive right now…what's the point of scaring me?"

"You should drink that now, Potter," Snape said suddenly, a stony expression on his face as he gestured towards the potion. "There's not much time."

"There is time," Harry countered, beginning to feel a twinge of anger. "What is it you're not telling me?" he asked demandingly. Snape made no reply, and simply started to turn away. He began stalking, quickly, towards the exit.

"Professor Snape!" Harry cried after him, feeling only utter disbelief at how the potions master was treating this matter. But the dark man didn't pause, and continued to walk, until he'd turned the corner. Harry looked after him, feeling hot anger building within him now. Without another thought, he set the potion down on the bedside table and slipped quickly to the floor.

His leg was almost healed, and he hardly felt the small twinge of pain flittering through his knee as he started after the potions master. Though he didn't realize he'd begun to limp as he finally reached the corner, and saw that Snape was only ten feet from the door.

"Professor Snape, wait!" Harry yelled after him, and the potions master finally came to a halt. Harry kept moving, intending to follow Snape for as long as it took if the older man should try to go again, however his shouting had attracted attention. Madam Pomfrey's office door swung open, and both Sirius and the nursemaid came tearing out into the main wing.

"Harry!" Sirius shouted at his godson, who had only just passed the office, but who didn't slow. He reached Snape just as Sirius trotted up behind him, taking one of his arms, and Poppy moved to his other side.

"C'mon Harry, you have to…" Sirius began.

"Why won't you tell me about the crystals?" Harry talked over him, breathing heavily, his face a mask of determination as he glared at Snape, who stood motionless near the door. "Why did you stop our lessons…?"

"Potter, I already explained…" Snape began, sounding annoyed.

"I know what you told me but now I want the real reason," Harry said calmly, wriggling his arm free of his godfather's hold and taking a step closer. "Why did you refuse to teach me about the crystals?"

Snape glared back at Harry, his lips pressed together in a thin white line as their eyes locked. Harry could see many things in the older wizard's expression. Anger, hate, exasperation…and guilt. Even Sirius didn't cut in, holding up a hand to stop Poppy from interfering, wanting to hear what Snape had to say.

Before another word could be spoken, however, the doors to the hospital wing burst open, and a figure in a dark cloak staggered forward, making it no more than three steps before collapsing in a heap near their feet.

Madam Pomfrey immediately moved forward, passing the three wizards in seconds and dropping to her knees beside the injured man. Harry started forward, but felt a sudden flash of pain in his stomach. It was starting. He was going to change after all.

"I haven't had the potion…" he murmured to Sirius, who saw Harry's hands fly to his stomach as he nearly doubled up and immediately came to his side.

"Sirius will you please get Harry back to his bed while I take care of him," Poppy spoke up, gesturing towards the injured man. She sounded dead serious; as if she'd clearly had enough of whatever argument they'd been having, and was no longer going to allow it to proceed.

Snape was obviously already done with the discussion, and had bent down near the cloaked figure as well.

"C'mon Harry," Sirius began gently, taking his godson by the arm and starting to lead him away, throwing wary glances at this new figure.

But Harry had barely moved, when Madam Pomfrey finally pulled back the stranger's hood, and he felt his jaw slowly begin to drop, seeing equally confused and shocked expressions on the others.

It was Troy.

Harry took a step towards Troy's still form, but felt Sirius' hold tighten gently on his arm.

"Not now Harry, you have to get back to your bed," he stated firmly.

"Sirius he's hurt," Harry said, his brow furrowed in confusion. Why would Troy be hurt? Who had done this to him? Surely not Adrik or Oren…

"Madam Pomfrey will take care of him," Sirius replied quietly. Harry waited a few seconds longer, before finally turning and allowing his godfather to help him back to the opposite end of the hospital wing.

After he was settled under the soft comforter once more, he downed the entire potion Snape had brought him, and waited.

Sirius started back across the hospital wing then, wanting to see what condition Troy was in, exactly. When he returned only minutes later, there was little to tell. Troy was unconscious, and Minerva was on her way…he would be kept under close watch while he slept. Harry nodded, feeling another sharp twinge rip through his stomach and cringed, before it settled down again.

"You don't have to stay, you know," he spoke up after a few minutes, feeling Sirius' eyes on him. "I don't know what it looks like…the change…but it doesn't feel pleasant…"

"I want to stay," Sirius replied, smiling warmly. "And I remember quite well what the transformation looks like, so don't worry about that…"

Harry nodded, and managed a tiny grin.

"Thanks."

As the last few minutes before sunset arrived, Sirius drew the curtains around them, before he transformed into Padfoot. He hopped up onto the edge of Harry's bed, remaining utterly still, as the change finally started.

The process was just as painful and horrifying as he remembered it, and Sirius couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for his godson. He had watched Remus endure this curse for so long…he hated having to see Harry go through it as well…and as far as he was concerned, if the crystals could help with a cure, then Snape would be helping them whether he wanted to or not.

After all that had happened, if that greasy git even tried to refuse the help, Sirius would be seeing to it personally that Snape changed his mind. He was certain after hearing what Oren had told Harry that the death eaters had the stones now…and Sirius had no idea how they'd managed to get into the school in the first place…but Harry knew what house they were in…and they didn't know Harry was alive. It would be easy enough to sneak in this way…there'd be no way they'd expect it.

The other problem now, however, was Troy. Who was he working for? Sirius believed completely that the shady transfiguration professor was definitely working against them…despite how Minerva seemed to think there was more to it…she only trusted him because she'd known him…but people change…

As Harry's transformation was fully complete, and the tired looking werewolf rested his head against the blankets beneath him, falling slowly into a deep sleep, Sirius stretched out his legs as well, and curled up on the opposite end of the bed, remaining alert for several long hours, before finally letting himself drift off to sleep.

When Harry awoke the next morning, he found he was already wearing fresh nightclothes. He felt much better than he had the day before, and hoped Madam Pomfrey would let him leave soon. But when she came to check on him, she told him he had to stay at least one more night.

Sirius was no help in the matter either; backing up the nursemaid with a large smile on his face, and Harry at last resigned from the argument, knowing it was hopeless to fight it. When Poppy had left, Harry immediately began questioning Sirius about Troy.

"Is he awake? Has he said what happened?" he asked eagerly.

"Madam Pomfrey insisted we not wake him prematurely," Sirius answered, his smile vanishing. "But the moment he opens his eyes…"

"I want to talk to him…" Harry began.

"No, that's not a good idea," Sirius cut in.

"Sirius, I need to ask him about that night," Harry explained, feeling the familiar exasperation that always came to him when Sirius became overprotective.

"I'll ask him, believe me," Sirius replied, his eyes narrowing.

"Please don't fight with me about this," Harry said, sighing quietly. "He's hurt, and now not many people here trust him…I don't think he'd have a chance to try anything even if he wanted to. Besides you must've taken his wand off of him, right?"

"He didn't have it on him to begin with," Sirius replied. "And I still don't want you near him…"

"Sirius…" Harry began, feeling impatient but trying to hide it. "Please understand, I-" but he cut off abruptly as his eyes caught sight of someone nearing the bed.

"Good morning," Mel smiled, coming up to the two wizards, before leaning down towards Harry and kissing him quickly. "You look so much better," she said happily, before looking to her right. "Hello Sirius."

"Glad you're here, Mel," Sirius smiled. "Look after him for me will you? Make sure he stays right there."

"Hey!" Harry cried in mock indignation.

"I can do that," Mel said with a smirk, grinning innocently at Harry as Sirius laughed.

"Then I'll leave you two alone for a while, there are some things I need to do. I'll be back later."

The two said goodbye as Sirius headed away from the bed and turned the corner. Harry turned his attention back to Mel then, and noticed she had a paper bag in her hands.

"What's that?" he asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Breakfast," Mel smiled, setting the bag down on the bedside table. She raised the food tray near the bed and slid it over so it was in front of Harry.

"I made pancakes for you…" she began as she pulled out a very warm plate which was covered with raised plastic, "and sausage…I hope you like that, I didn't have any bacon…"

"No, I love sausage," Harry said, feeling his stomach rumbling with hunger all of a sudden. He'd had a little bit to eat the day before, but had no real appetite…now however; it was back with a vengeance. Harry watched as Mel pulled out another plate, setting them both on the tray. She then produced syrup, butter, juice, silverware and napkins from the bag, which Harry knew had to be charmed, before settling down. Harry moved his legs to one side, so Mel fit comfortably on the opposite end of the bed, and she began removing the plastic covering.

They shared an entirely pleasant, private meal together, and Harry found himself thinking back to the previous year, when he and Mel would go off on their own all the time for dinner. If he pretended he wasn't sitting in a hospital bed, it wasn't so bad…

The quiet was short-lived however, as the news that Harry was in the hospital wing had of course, spread around the school. As students had free periods they began drifting in to visit, and Harry just couldn't turn them away. Most of the Gryffindors stopped in, Ginny, Colin, Su, Ariele…and many others. Several Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs stopped in as well, but not even one Slytherin, which didn't surprise Harry, or insult him in the least.

It lasted for most of the day before Madam Pomfrey finally cut them off, allowing no more students in for the day. She assured them Harry would be out soon, and they could speak with him then.

Minerva came by shortly after the last lesson of the day. She told Harry he wouldn't be expected back in class until the following week, and she would cover his lessons until then. As much as Harry wanted to return, he was glad for the extra time she was giving him…there were quite a few things he needed to do.

Hagrid stopped by, and of course went about fussing and worrying over Harry, while Mel stood by and laughed. When he had left, Ron and Hermione showed up after their days at work and school as well. Ron hadn't heard anything from his dad as of yet, however, and neither Sirius or Marzia had called or stopped by, so they knew nothing of what was going on at the ministry that day.

It was then, however, with about three hours left before Harry's last transformation of the month, that Draco Malfoy showed up.

For a moment, no one spoke, and Draco slowly came to a halt as he reached the foot of Harry's bed, meeting his gaze.

"How are you?" Harry asked finally, knowing the past few days had to have been horrible for Draco as well…

"I'm going home," Malfoy replied with a casual shrug. "Madam Pomfrey said I don't need to stay any longer."

Harry nodded faintly, glad for him. Draco was pale, but he always looked that way. And he didn't appear to be sick or in pain…if anything he looked subdued.

"I was able to call McGonagall after my wrist started burning," Draco began explaining in an unnaturally calm voice. "She opened up a floo channel to my house…and I arrived in her office, but we couldn't find you. It wasn't that bad just then…but later on…" he trailed off, his eyes glazing over momentarily before he slowly shook his head and let out a shaky breath. "I don't even want to know what they did to you…"

"I'm sorry," Harry said quietly, having to fight to keep his eyes up. "I'm sorry for what you went through…"

"Harry," Hermione started quietly, a soft sadness to her tone as Mel sat on the bed beside him, slipping her arm around his back. But Draco spoke up stiffly.

"I don't want an apology," he said quietly. "I know it wasn't your fault…I just don't want it to happen again."

"Oh and you think Harry does want that?" Ron asked, narrowing his eyes angrily. "It isn't as if-"

"That's not what I was saying," Draco spoke loudly, glaring at the redhead as he cut him off. "I know what I felt, and I know I'm not the only one who felt it…but the truth is I don't think anyone should ever have to go through that…" he trailed off, a very visible shiver running through him, before he looked to Harry. "So what do we do?"

The statement had to make several laps through Harry's mind before he finally realized what Draco had said…had truly said. The words actually left his mouth.

"You…you want to help?" Harry managed to ask, shocked, his friends looking equally surprised.

"I want to make sure this doesn't happen again," Draco replied evenly. "And before you even start Weasley, I don't mean just because I don't like the pain…" he trailed off, staring at Ron, almost daring him to say otherwise.

"If you want to help," Harry spoke up before an argument could break out between the two, "You should know up front…this might somehow be connected to Dumbledore…"

"What do you mean?" Draco asked immediately, his eyes narrowing.

"The cult blames me for stealing their Orb, their strongest source of power, when really it was Adrik and the others who took it. We think the Orb was what killed Travis…but that the real target was Albus," Harry explained quickly, telling what he'd found out from Oren, and the possible conclusions he and the others had come up with. Draco was quiet for several moments after he'd finished. He even began pacing back and forth at the foot of the bed, before finally coming to a halt and spinning to meet Harry's gaze once again.

"Let's start with the cult then…how do you beat them? You got away from them once before this last time, right?"

"Twice," Mel replied quickly.

"But only because of the crystals," Harry said miserably. "I can't do anything to hurt the Shadow Walkers otherwise…"

"Well then start using them again," Draco stated as if the solution should be obvious. "I know you said Severus didn't want you to but I'm certain that…"

"I already spoke to Snape," Harry cut in quickly. "It's not a question of him helping me learn, it's a question of him helping me find them…they were stolen."

"What?" Draco cried, growing paler than usual as his jaw dropped in shock. "When? How? Who has them?"

"A few days ago, I don't know how and I believe Adrik and Oren," Harry replied evenly.

"Snape's going to help you though, right?" Mel asked, her brow furrowing in concern as Harry turned to face her.

"I don't know," he replied, honestly. "He didn't exactly sound too eager to do so…"

"That dirty, filthy git!" Ron cried, clearly outraged. "Does he want you dead? You can't trust him Harry, we have to…"

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Draco asked over Ron's ranting. Harry could hardly believe Draco had just offered his help again.

"I…er…thank you…" he stammered awkwardly. "I want to…to try talking to him again first, hopefully tonight," he said, knowing Snape would still need to deliver the potion for the evening. "Maybe the stones will be at the apartment Adrik, Lilith and Oren are using in Hogsmeade, if they haven't moved, that is…" Harry trailed off.

"Maybe Troy knows," Ron suggested, obviously having been told about the transfiguration professor's arrival. "He was there longer than you…"

"Wait, Troy…that new professor?" Draco asked. "Is that why he's in the hospital wing? What does he have to do with this?"

"You saw him?" Harry asked, eagerly. "Where are they keeping him?"

"Upstairs," Draco replied quickly. "I passed his room on my way down here, there was some ruckus going on though…I think he was just waking up."

The words had barely left Draco's mouth, before Harry slid to the side of the bed, swinging his legs over the side.

"Where are you going?" Mel and Hermione asked in unison, wearing equally worried expressions.

"To find out what happened to Troy," Harry replied evenly. They were not going to stop him.

"Harry no," Hermione said sternly as she and Ron rose to their feet. "That's not a good idea…besides if something's wrong with him Madam Pomfrey won't let you in anyway."

"If she's sitting in the room watching him I'll be right back," Harry said quickly, sliding his feet into the slippers by the side of the bed before grabbing his robe.

"What if she's not with him?" Mel asked anxiously, standing up as well. "What if he tries something?"

"We'll go with you," Ron said immediately.

"He won't try anything in the school," Harry replied hastily. "And no, I need you three to stay here…leave the curtains pulled and talk or something…that way it will seem like I'm still here…" he trailed off turning to Draco. "Would you show me the room he's in?"

"Wait, you want to take him?" Ron asked incredulously before Malfoy could answer.

"Yes, I'll show you," Draco replied to Harry, while glaring at Ron.

"Why do you need to talk with Troy right this minute?" Mel asked, refusing to give up. "I'm sure you'll be able to ask him whatever you need to soon enough…"

"Because I don't want to put it off," Harry replied, honestly. "I don't want to chance anything happening before I get to talk to him." He left out the argument he'd had with Sirius, though…what he'd told them was true enough.

"How long will you be?" Hermione asked as Harry began stepping away.

"I don't know," he replied quickly, shaking his head. "I'll try to make it fast…" he trailed off for a moment, looking at each of his friends in turn. "Will you stay until I get back?" he asked, hopefully.

The three exchanged wary glances with one another, when finally Ron nodded faintly.

"We'll be here," he said evenly, and Harry nodded thankfully in reply, before turning and heading for the stairway door with Draco just beside him.

The two wizards made the trip upstairs in silence, and Draco led the way up the hall to the more private rooms of the hospital wing. It was so quiet Harry could hear his breathing magnified in his ears, and he was actually glad when he saw Draco reach into his pocket, pulling out his wand. Better to be on the safe side…

As they came to a slow halt near the end of the corridor, they found the door to the room slightly ajar, but could hear no noise coming from inside. Exchanging quick glances, Harry nodded and Draco pushed the door open slowly, to reveal a nearly empty room, with Troy lying motionlessly on the single bed. There were no lights on, and only the early evening sun cast a warm glow over the room.

Harry started slowly towards the bed, not knowing what to expect, when suddenly Troy stirred. His face, which had been pointed towards the window, slowly turned, until his eyes fell upon his two visitors, and immediately noticed Draco's ready wand.

"Come to kill me?" he asked casually.

"No," Harry replied at once, shaking his head and continuing to step closer. He realized suddenly, why Troy wasn't moving. His wrists and ankles were strapped to the bed. "What happened to you?" Harry asked, completely puzzled.

Troy laughed quietly, grinning up at Harry. He looked a bit…dizzy…dazed…but was quickly coming out of it.

"Adrik doesn't know everything, does he?" Troy spoke up finally, still chuckling over his private joke.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"He thinks he's so smart…he really does…" Troy said smiling, "but if he was as bright as he thought, then he would know memory charms won't work on me…"

"He tried to erase your memory?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "Why?"

"Probably to make me forget something," Troy answered wryly.

"But what would he want you to forget?" Harry persisted. "Aren't you…er…are you working with him?" he asked, growing quiet.

"With Adrik?" Troy asked, looking suddenly insulted. "What are you on about?"

"Well you were there the other night…you knew where he, Lilith and Oren were…and then you turned on me."

"No I didn't," Troy said flatly.

"I saw you grab your wand…" Harry began quickly. "If you didn't knock me out…who did?"

"One of those spider things!" Troy replied testily.

"The Skeins?"

"Yes, them. They crept into the room while you were busy tripping all over yourself…I took my wand out to try and stop them, but they got to you before I could do anything…and there were too many…"

"He's lying," Draco spoke up darkly. "He's trying to talk his way out of this…"

"If I was working for the death eaters why would I have come back here?" Troy spat heatedly.

"To feed us this phony story…so we'd trust you…" Draco replied evenly.

Harry looked back and forth between the two…they both had a point.

"You're paranoid Malfoy," Troy said, rolling his eyes.

"Call it what you want," Draco replied curtly. "But explain to me why, if Adrik wanted to erase your memory to keep you from telling us something, would he bother leaving you alive? That'd be the most efficient method of keeping you quiet, after all…and death eaters are nothing if not efficient."

"Because if he killed me, he'd have an entirely new problem to deal with…one he would want to stay far away from I'm certain…" Troy replied stiffly.

"What problem?" Harry asked.

"The Cult of Shadows," Troy said darkly. "They'd want him dead."

"They'd want him dead just for killing you?" Malfoy asked, arching a skeptical eyebrow.

"Then the mark on your wrist was real," Harry said, feeling his blood run cold just thinking about it. "You're a Shadow Walker."

"Yes, yes and no," Troy replied. "But I was one of them…"

"What mark?" Draco asked, looking quickly to Harry. "He has one too?"

"Want to see it?" Troy asked, smirking, trying to wriggle his wrists free. "Just help me out of these things and-"

"I don't think so," Draco replied evenly, tightening the grip on his wand and keeping it trained on Troy.

"Do I scare you that badly, Malfoy?" Troy sneered. "I have nothing to attack or defend with, and I can barely sit up, yet you won't lower your wand."

"You're part of the cult," Draco said evenly, as if that explained everything.

"You're not listening, I said I used to be," Troy shot back.

"If you're no longer part of the cult then why would they care what happens to you?" Harry asked.

"Because I didn't depart on bad terms," Troy replied.

"Why did you join them in the first place?" Draco sneered, earning an icy stare from the transfiguration professor. Harry opened his mouth to tell him he didn't have to answer…it was too personal a question, when suddenly Troy began speaking.

"Because not all of us get special treatment," he spat bitterly. "Some of us have our lives turned upside down and receive help from every direction, and some of us go through the same experience and get shut out." He turned his acidic glare upon Harry then, before continuing. "Not everyone gets accepted to Hogwarts, you know. Not everyone has their name on the list from day one."

"I'm sorry," Harry said quietly.

"Well I don't want any apology from you," Troy spat, leaning forward as far as he could. "When the cult came to me, I accepted their offer, and was happy with my choice."

"Why did you leave?" Harry asked cautiously.

Troy was silent for a long while, so long that Harry slowly realized he simply wasn't going to answer, when finally, he heard a quiet sigh.

"I don't know," Troy replied, shaking his head. It was as if his anger had vanished, and was replaced by emptiness. "They taught me everything I know. We didn't have a school, but I learned magic from the others who had been witches or wizards…I was shown everything I would've learned here…I didn't have a reason to leave, they were my family…but I didn't feel like I was home…"

"When did you leave them?" Draco asked, sounding minutely interested.

Troy glanced up at him suspiciously, as if deciding whether or not he wanted to answer any questions that came from Malfoy at all, before shrugging faintly and speaking.

"A little over two years ago," he said quietly. "I went back to London, where my parents lived before…" he paused for a half a second. "But I had no place to go…no money, no job…I almost changed my mind then, but I ran into Minerva. She had been very close with my parents, and used to visit me after I'd been adopted. I suppose she was sad after I left…but I didn't care at the time. I only realized how upset she'd been when I saw her again all those years later…she looked so happy…and she almost cried."

He stopped for a moment, his eyes looking far off as if he were reliving that moment, but seemed to realize what he was doing, before clearing his throat and continuing.

"She helped me get started…get an apartment, a job…a wand," he chuckled softly. "And she always came to see how I was doing, more over the summer then during the school year, but she certainly sent enough owls. Then, this past summer, she told me she had a very big favor to ask…and told me about the position open here, for transfiguration. I didn't know the first thing about teaching…but she'd done too much for me to refuse…"

"How touching," Draco said then, rolling his eyes.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand, Malfoy," Troy said, his eyes growing dark in a flash. "You've had servants and money all your life…"

"You don't know the first thing about my life!" Draco shouted fiercely, and Harry had to step in front of him as he took a step towards the bed.

"Alright, enough," he said crisply, waiting until he had Draco's full attention before continuing. "Look we don't know how much time before someone comes to check on him…or me…so try to hold your temper for just a little longer, okay?" he asked, sounding a bit more irate than he'd intended.

"Fine," Draco snapped. "Though I hope you're not buying any of his lies. If he was really so innocent as he's claiming then why would they restrain him? Someone doesn't trust him, apparently."

"It's because of the memory charm," Troy said quickly.

"Oh you mean the one that has no effect on you?" Draco asked sardonically. "That memory charm?"

"No, the one that doesn't work on me," Troy replied evenly. "As in, I keep my memory but the charm still has an effect. You should pay closer attention to the words people use Malfoy, they usually make a difference."

"How does it affect you?" Harry asked quietly.

"It burns," Troy said stiffly. "Quite painfully…I felt it searing through my mind, all the way to the back of my eyeballs…I don't have the best control over my actions while that happens. I just want it to stop…"

"So they restrained you so you don't gouge out your eyes or something…" Malfoy stated unconcernedly.

"Or something, yes," Troy replied crisply.

"Does Adrik know it didn't work?" Harry asked.

"I have no idea," Troy replied, shaking his head. "I barely had time to feel any pain before he knocked me out…when I woke I was near the school…and the charm was still trying to do what it was supposed to…it finally came to a head just a short while before you two came…and now it's gone."

"So why doesn't the charm affect you then?" Draco asked, distrustfully.

"Because I used to belong to the cult," Troy replied curtly. "When you become a Shadow Walker, you change physically and mentally…and when you go back, it's never the same as it was before. I don't have the same powers…I can't use the shadows to travel, and magic does have an effect on me, but not the same effect as it has on either of you."

"What about the way they can sense things?" Harry spoke up suddenly. "Do you still have that?"

"Wondering how I knew your girlfriend was pregnant?" Troy asked snidely, clearly amused by Harry's eagerness.

"Mel's pregnant?" Draco asked, looking curiously at Harry, who ignored him.

"Is that how you knew?" he asked Troy evenly.

"Yes, that's how I knew," Troy smirked tauntingly. "Before you knew."

Harry wasn't going to take the bait, he had no time for arguments right now.

"Then maybe you can help me understand what it is they sense in me," he said quickly. "Why do they think I'm Jared?"

"What?" Troy asked quietly.

"The cult," Harry said, rushing on. "Why do they think I'm Jared? They think I'm the one who stole the Orb."

Troy stared back at him, his eyes narrowed in confusion as he began speaking.

"That…that doesn't make any sense…"

"I tried to tell them that…" Harry began.

"You're the one they've been after all this time?" Troy interrupted, shocked. "You're the one they've been looking for?"

"And the one they nearly killed, too," Draco added, looking as if he wasn't buying Troy's act.

"But you were really there…in the village?" Troy asked, his eyes widening.

"Why do you think he's in the hospital wing you idiot?" Draco asked in exasperation. "Your family, as you call them, wants him dead."

"I just…I thought…I assumed you were here because the death eaters did something to you…and you escaped…" Troy stammered, looking at Harry.

"I wish," Harry said dully, and gave Troy the briefest explanation possible as to what really did happen over the past few days.

"How did you get the mark?" Troy asked when Harry finished. "If it appeared when Pollux put your hand in the flame, it must've come from the Orb."

"Adrik gave it to me…several months ago," Harry replied quickly. "I never saw the Orb, but we think he must've had it with-" he stopped abruptly as a sudden pain shot through his right wrist. Wincing from the sudden searing flash, dimly aware Draco was doing the same thing, Harry grabbed his wrist with his left hand, seeing the mark on his wrist now had delicate tendrils of smoke seeping from it. The heat increased immensely and for a sickening moment, Harry's vision blurred and he swayed on his feet, when suddenly the pain was gone, snuffed out as if it had never been there. He blinked his eyes a few times before focusing in on his wrist again.

"What was that?" Draco asked warily, stooping to pick up his wand, which he'd dropped, and stepping towards Harry.

"It's gone," Harry said quietly, inspecting the skin carefully. "The mark is gone…"

"Well it was gone for months after Halloween," Draco said, shrugging.

"But this time it's not going to come back," Troy spoke up then. "When the blue flame touched it, it brought it to the surface of your skin once more, sensing the power of the Orb within it, however, because you were not given the mark properly, the flame sensed that as well, and began erasing the counterfeit mark…the two powers working against one another…made it take a while."

"But it served its purpose, which was all Adrik needed," Harry said darkly. "He probably knew the mark wouldn't disappear right away, and when the flame made it show, it enforced the Shadow Walkers' belief that I'm Jared…"

"Well this is good then!" Draco said, suddenly eager. "If we can find them again then they'll be able to see the mark is gone…and it'll prove they were wrong!"

"I doubt they'd bother to check," Troy said, rolling his eyes. "They've seen it once, they don't need to see it again."

"Alright then, how about you talk to them for us first?" Draco snapped, glaring at Troy. "Would they believe you if you told them about Harry?"

"I'll find that out as soon as I'm out of here," Troy said hastily, tugging at his wrists once more.

The sound of the door slowly opening caused all three inhabitants of the room to suddenly look towards it, only to see Minerva McGonagall on the opposite side. The expression on her face faltered quickly, however, as she spotted Harry and Draco.

"What's going on?" she asked sternly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Minerva," Troy said pleasantly, looking truly glad to see her. McGonagall started briskly across the room, pausing half a second as she reached Harry first.

"Potter, sit, now."

She continued then and Harry did as he was told, moving to the nearest chair and finding as he lowered himself into it that he was enormously relieved. His legs were ever so slightly shaking, and he hadn't noticed until just this moment.

"Troy, are you alright? How do you feel?" Minerva asked concernedly, beginning to unfasten the straps. "Mr. Malfoy will you put that away," she said irately, catching a glimpse of his wand. "I still want to know why you two are here. You should be resting Harry, you look exhausted, and neither of you should be disturbing Troy…"  
"It's alright Minerva, I feel fine," Troy assured her, finally able to sit up. "But there's something I have to do, I have to go-"

"Go?" McGonagall interrupted, her expression suggesting how ludicrous that idea was. "No, Troy you need to rest."

"I'm fine, I swear," Troy said earnestly. "Minerva please don't argue with me, this is very important."

"What is so important that it cannot wait a day or so?" McGonagall asked in a very no nonsense tone. "And I highly doubt you're doing as well as you say…you were horribly ill when you arrived…shivering and burning up…then clawing at your face and neck…"

"It's passed now though," Troy said quickly.

"We can't be sure of that," McGonagall said evenly. "We don't even know what was done to you. Until Madam Pomfrey can determine…"

"I know what was done," Troy said quickly. "A memory charm."

McGonagall's brow furrowed in puzzlement as she stared at Troy.

"Memory charms don't work that way, Mr. Ryan…"

"No, I realize that," Troy said quietly. "But on me they do."

"And why is that?"

Troy looked back at McGonagall, their eyes locked, as Harry and Draco looked on anxiously. Finally, the young redhead sighed, and began speaking quietly.

"I have to tell you something Minerva, I haven't been entirely truthful with you…"

Draco spit out a stifled laugh then, but quickly went silent as Minerva's icy gaze fell upon him, before she turned back to Troy.

"I'll try to explain this as quickly as possible," he continued, "and please understand that after I've finished, I need to go…"

"Troy…whatever it is…whatever's wrong…I can help you," McGonagall began, uncertainly.

"No, you can't," Troy said evenly. "I don't want your help, I just need you to hear me out."

"When you found me in London two years ago…I told you I'd ran away…that I was living on the streets, but that wasn't how it was," Troy said quietly, rushing on as if he needed to get it out. "I was a Shadow Walker."

If this news was shocking to McGonagall in any way, Harry couldn't tell. Her face remained stiff and intent, her eyes locked with Troy's, waiting for him to continue. He went on to tell her what he'd already explained to Harry and Draco.

When he finished, McGonagall looked at him for a long, heavy moment, before speaking evenly.

"And now? Are you still working for them in some way?"

Troy's eyes flickered briefly towards Harry, before he replied.

"Not in the way you think," he said quickly. "I only just found out they're after Harry…and I know they're wrong as well…if I'd known sooner…"

"How are you working for them, Mr. Ryan?" Minerva interrupted curtly; she was obviously less than pleased.

"Less than a day after you came to me," he began, "to ask if I would take the position here, Pollux found me. He came to my house and told me they needed my help, that the Orb had been stolen. I told him I couldn't come back, that I had a life here…and that I was just starting a new job, but I promised I would do what I could."

"How could you do anything while you were at the school though?" Harry couldn't stop himself from asking.

"I wasn't sure that I could," Troy replied quickly. "I don't have the same powers anymore…I can't sense things like a normal Shadow Walker, they gave me the name Jared Graham, but that was all I had to go on. But because I've been within the Orb, bathed in its essence, I will always know when it is being used…and when it is near."

"That's why you went to the apartment in Hogsmeade two nights ago, isn't it?" Draco asked snidely. "Took you long enough for it being such a short distance…"

"It wasn't always there," Troy shot back curtly. "The first time I sensed it, I couldn't place where it was, but it was definitely close. The second time I was shocked, however, because it was in the school…on Halloween, actually, but it was gone before I could trace it. Later that same night, I felt it again, but outside the school, and only for several seconds, not long enough for me to track it. After that it stopped, I couldn't feel it anywhere, though I kept searching the school to be sure. Then, the night before the holiday break, I sensed it again, much stronger this time, and definitely in the school. I started searching, everywhere, including the house dorms…"

"That's why you were in the Gryffindor tower that night!" Harry interrupted suddenly.

"Yes," Troy nodded. "I couldn't tell you that at the time though, and it's the only reason I attacked you…I didn't know who you were at first, of if you were the one with the Orb. But by that point I could no longer sense it in the school anymore…and a short while later I felt it again…someone used it, but it was too far away for me to know where it was, and I don't know what it was used for…"

"The night before the holidays," Harry began, trying to remember correctly. "Hermione's professor was murdered that night…the mark of the cult was on his wrist…"

"Someone used it on him then," Troy said, leaning forward. "It killed him."

"How would they do that though?" Harry asked quickly. "Marzia told me you can't use the Orb if you aren't part of the cult…"

"That's true," Troy nodded. "Only those who are or once were Shadow Walkers can use it."

"So, was Adrik ever…?" Harry began.

"Not that I'm aware of," Troy replied, shaking his head. "Oren either. It must be this Jared person…Jared Graham, that's turned traitor…it's the only way they could be using it."

"It can't be though," Harry said quietly. "He's been dead over fifty years…"

Troy looked at him for a moment, his eyes narrowed in thought, before finally he shrugged. "Then either it's someone else…or he isn't actually dead."

Harry stared back at Troy, shaking his head faintly. Jared had to be dead…Dumbledore killed him, didn't he?

"It must be someone else," Harry said at last.

"Possibly," Troy shrugged as if he didn't believe that. "All I know is that's the name Pollux gave me, and that's who he thought you were…pretty strange coincidence, don't you think?"

"If he were alive, we would know, wouldn't we?" Harry asked, almost hopefully. "Fifty-four years is a very long time for someone like that to remain hidden." The others simply looked at him, and Minerva remained stonily silent.

"Whoever it is," Troy said quickly, "they used the Orb again on New Year's Eve. I was already near the ministry building for the celebration that night with a friend of mine-"

"You have friends?" Draco interrupted sardonically.

"-so I realized where it came from right away," Troy finished stiffly, ignoring Malfoy.

"Why were you at there that night anyway?" Draco asked. "Don't you think you should've been out looking for the Orb…?"

"I was," Troy snapped. "I'm constantly doing just that…and seeing as how there were going to be so many people there, I figured it might work out to my advantage if someone were planning on using it. You see, it's easier to get away with something when there's more people around, everyone sees something different, stories don't match, no one knows who did what…it's mass confusion."

"But instead someone used it inside the ministry," Draco said, smirking. "So close, yet so far…"

"That was unexpected, yes," Troy nodded. "And of course, getting inside that building became virtually impossible…so I was forced to wait again."

"Why couldn't you just contact one of the other Shadow Walkers?" Draco asked, skeptically. "They could've gotten inside without a problem, right?"

"Because I don't have any immediate method of doing so," Troy replied crisply. "Or I would have. The only way I can speak with them now, however, is if they come and find me, or I travel back to the village."

"Why didn't you?" Draco persisted.

"Because I didn't want to go and then come back to find the Orb gone."

"Aren't they able to sense it as well?" Draco asked. "Why are you the only one looking for it?"

"That's why Pollux came to me in the first place," Troy replied. "As I'm no longer a Shadow Walker, I can actually sense it easier than any of them. Once the crystal is removed from the temple, it becomes sketchy to them, unclear…they can't see the way we can, and when the Orb is pulled out of its resting place, it blends in with whatever they're looking at…as if it isn't even there. Everything else about their senses remains as it was, however, so they decided to search for the Orb by searching for Jared, and since I can't sense Jared, I would search for the Orb."

"So you kept feeling it then, in all these places, and you never once went to tell them about it?" Malfoy asked, skeptically.

"No, I already told you," Troy began, impatiently, "I didn't want to chance that it would be gone. I kept sensing the Orb but I could never pin it down long enough to be positive of a location. If I went to get the others, and it was gone, it would be for nothing. However, near the end of the winter holidays, I finally found it. I was so close to the Orb I could feel it in my skin. I was in Hogsmeade when it happened, and I immediately followed the scent to a man in a dark cloak…he had his face hidden, but I got a good look at the woman he was with. I started to follow them, but it was too crowded, and I lost site of them near a busy street corner, when I reached it only seconds later, they were nowhere to be found."

"That was months ago," Draco pointed out quickly. "Did you decide you needed a break?"

"It took me a long time to find them again," Troy replied, witheringly. "It would have been sooner, but I couldn't leave…" he trailed off, looking to Minerva.

"You wouldn't give me a reason," McGonagall replied curtly.

"I know," Troy conceded. "I couldn't at that time…if I'd known you already knew about the cult, it would have been different…"

"So how did you finally find them again?" Harry asked.

"Luck, I suppose," Troy replied. "I went back to Hogsmeade every chance I had, as it was the only place I'd ever seen them, hoping they might show up somewhere. But after a month of nothing, I gave up, figuring they must not come through the town often, and I didn't go back for a while. Then, just this past weekend, I decided to stop at the tavern and have a drink. When I was leaving, I saw the woman…with the same dark clothes and long black hair, right there in front of me…but I didn't sense the Orb. She was heading out of the main square, however, and towards the housing area…so I did the only thing I could, and followed her several streets in, to an apartment, just like any other, and that's where it happened again. The Orb was there; I felt it. I didn't think it would be the best idea to try to get in right then, having no idea who was inside, so instead I looked over the building, taking in everything I could…any visible entrances or exits…before heading back to the school. The next night I went back…I wanted to try getting in by a side entrance, which looked like it would lead into the basement…what I didn't realize, is that someone was following me…" he trailed off, looking at Harry.

"If I had known what you were actually doing…" Harry began, quietly.

"Is there anything else?" Minerva asked curtly, her eyes boring into Troy's. "Anything more you haven't told me?"

"No, that's everything," Troy replied quietly.

"And what is it that you need to do now?"

"I have to get back to the shadow village," Troy began quickly. "As soon as possible. Adrik tried to erase my memory so I wouldn't remember anything about the Orb, but I know he has it, and even if he leaves his current location, I can at least make sure the cult is after the right person."

"How fast can you get there?" Minerva asked.

"It's tricky," Troy replied, his face screwed up in thought. "I can't just apparate there, not until I reach a gate…and I'm positive Adrik and the others will have the closest route under watch. I think it might be quicker to skip that way, and use one of the lesser known entrances, in the hills…though it will take a few days…"

"We will make sure you have enough food then," Minerva said briskly. "And something warm for sleeping, as the nights are still quite cold. Is there anything else you'll need?"

"No," Troy shook his head slowly. "Not unless someone wants to lend me their wand…"

Minerva was silent for a brief second, before nodding curtly.

"I'll see what can be done. When are you leaving?"

"The sooner the better."

Minerva stood up quickly, looking at once to Harry and Draco.

"I think it's time you head downstairs, Mr. Potter. Mr. Malfoy, please see that he gets there."

Harry and Draco exchanged brief glances, but were compelled not to argue after hearing the severe tone in McGonagall's voice. They stood quietly, and started for the door, feeling Minerva watching them all the way, until they were out of the room, and on their way down the silent corridor.

"You were gone nearly two hours!" Hermione cried when Harry and Draco finally came back into sight, nearing the bed.

"We saw McGonagall go up, thought for sure she'd be sending you down right away," Ron added.

"I thought she might do that as well," Harry nodded as he reached the bed and slid up on it. "I think she was too shocked by Troy's news…"

"What news?" Mel asked. "What did he tell you?"

Before Harry could answer, they heard the sound of nearing footsteps, and looked up as Madam Pomfrey came into view holding a large glass.

"Professor Snape just dropped this off and asked me to give it to you, Harry," she said gently, handing it to him. Harry took one glance and recognized it as the potion he needed for the full moon.

"Where is he?" Harry asked immediately.

"He said he was busy, I believe he went back to his office," Madam Pomfrey replied.

Harry could feel a dull anger in his gut, but forced a small smile to his face, thanking the nursemaid, and watching as she quickly walked away.

"He's avoiding me," Harry said darkly, after she was gone.

"This surprises you?" Draco asked sardonically. "Think of who we're talking about…"

"I know," Harry said. "I just can't believe he's acting this way over something so important, it doesn't make any sense."

"He's a coward," Ron said quickly. "Most all of them are…"

"Them?" Draco interrupted, his eyes flashing with anger. "Who exactly are you referring to?"

"With the exception of Mel," Ron began evenly, "I mean most Slytherins."

"You're so ignorant it makes me sick, Weasley."

"And you have no idea how ridiculous that sounds coming from you, Malfoy," Ron laughed, ignoring the warning look from Hermione, telling him to stop talking. "What have you ever done that wasn't, in the long run, just to save your own skin?"

"First of all, there's nothing wrong with trying to stay alive," Draco spat, heatedly. "And second, there's a big difference between cowardice and acting in your own self interest. If it meant my life and I had no other choice, I'd do what I had to…"

"I'll believe that when I see it," Ron shot back, rolling his eyes.

"This isn't the time for this!" Hermione spoke up loudly then, causing both of them to stop and look at her. "Now if both of you don't mind, there's too much we still need to figure out without you two at each others' throats."

"Sorry," Ron muttered, not sounding it. Draco simply looked away.

"Alright," Mel said then, her eyes shifting to Harry who was still looking darkly at the potion in his hands. "Can you tell us what happened with Troy?"

"Draco can tell you," Harry replied quietly, gesturing towards the window with a nod. "There's not enough time for me to…and I would rather you all not be around…when I change."

"Is something wrong?" Mel asked at once, her concerned gaze searching his face. "Something we don't know about…I mean."

"Mel, everything's fine," Harry lied, smiling faintly. "I'm just really tired all of a sudden…"

Looking worried and confused, but respecting his wishes, Ron, Hermione and Mel reluctantly said their good nights, before quietly following Draco across the hospital wing. Harry sighed inaudibly, glancing again at the glass in his hands, before raising it quickly and downing it in seconds. He placed the cup onto the bedside table, laid back against the soft pillows, and closed his eyes.

He was actually glad to not be the one explaining things this time, and wondered if McGonagall would let Troy go…though, in his opinion, it had sounded like she was going to.

All Harry could do was hope the Shadow Walkers would listen to Troy, and would believe him. He didn't have the crystals to protect himself at the moment, and Snape seemed to think this was just fine…which angered Harry to no end. He was going to speak with the potions master one way or the other, and find out exactly what was going on.

At least, for the time being, he knew he was safest in Hogwarts. The way Oren had made it sound, they didn't want the cult anywhere near the school. Harry had no idea why this was, though he couldn't help but feel glad…as long as he stayed in the school, he would be fine.

The minutes ticked by, and all Harry could do was wait…wait for the sun to set. He heard Madam Pomfrey passing by on her way upstairs and back down again twice now, only recognizing it was her by the sound of her quiet mumbling. She sounded less than pleased.

Several minutes later, he heard two sets of footsteps. One set kept going in the direction that would take them out of the hospital wing, and the other came closer and closer to his bed. Harry watched curiously as the curtains surrounding him were gently pulled back, and Troy's face peered around the edge.

"Oh good, you're awake," he said quietly.

"What's going on?" Harry asked at once, sitting up quickly as the first flash of pain shot through his gut, but he masked his reaction and looked questioningly up at Troy.

"I'm going," the transfiguration professor stated flatly. "Minerva gave me everything I needed," he said, holding up a small backpack. If everything he needed fit in there, it was obviously charmed.

"Oh," Harry said quickly, wondering why Troy was telling him this. They weren't exactly on the friendliest of terms, last he knew. "Good luck," he said anyway, but truly meaning it.

"Thanks," Troy said, before rushing on. "There's just one thing…Minerva made me promise to ask you first…" he trailed off, sliding his hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out two wands. "These are the best she had," Troy explained, a skeptical look on his face. When students' wands are faulty, they're usually destroyed after they're replaced…but sometimes the broken wands are left behind when everyone goes home for the holidays. The school isn't allowed to destroy them, they have to be claimed…and most of the time they aren't…"

"So basically our replacement wands aren't up to par, is that it?" Harry asked, stifling another wince as his stomach twisted. "What's your question then?"

"Well…" Troy began slowly, almost as if he didn't want to. "This wand might cause problems," he said, holding up a battered looking piece of wood with a very tiny hole near the tip. "But this one looks like it's in near perfect condition…" he said, holding up the other. Harry looked at it closely, recognizing it immediately.

"That's Remus' wand!" he said, a smile crossing his face despite the feeling in his gut. "I didn't know she kept it…"

"I knew it," Troy muttered, looking disgusted and tossing the better wand down on the bed. He turned then, and started quickly across the hospital wing.

"Troy…wait!" Harry called after him, sucking in his breath immediately after as his stomach lurched. He glanced at the window, beginning to sweat, there was barely any time left.

"What?" Troy asked impatiently, stepping back up alongside the bed, one eyebrow arching as he noticed how sick Harry suddenly looked. "Are you-"

"Take it," Harry interrupted, quietly. "You need it more than I do…take it." He reached out, grasping Remus' wand tightly in his hand, before thrusting it forward, towards Troy.

"Are you sure?" Troy asked, uncertainly.

"Go, alright?" Harry said, knowing he sounded rude, but wanting Troy to leave immediately. "Just make sure you come back…"

Troy took the wand then, and placed the older one on the table beside the bed, before looking back to Harry. He nodded silently, turned, and without so much as another word, started across the hospital wing, towards the exit.

Harry didn't watch him go, however, the transformation had begun. He wondered, distantly, if Sirius would return tonight…but didn't think on it long, as all thoughts were soon wiped from his mind, and all he could do was wait for the change to finish.

Harry slowly fell asleep, but it wasn't restful. There were too many things that worried him at the present time…and too many things he still didn't have answers for. He woke several times throughout the night, but so tired he could do no more than blink sleepily before drifting back off.

At one point, with more than two hours to go before the sunrise, Harry stirred once more, realizing his right leg was numb, and reluctantly shifting his position. He opened his eyes slightly, only to do a double take at the sight he took in.

Raising his head up from the sheets, Harry could see the blurry outline of what could only be a ghost…and from the shape of this one…he was sure it must be the Bloody Baron.

Harry gradually began to push himself up, staring fixedly up at the ghost, who was hovering very near the bed, his silver eyes darting this way and that, but as soon as the baron saw he was being watched, he vanished.

Harry blinked tiredly; too weak to even try to move from the bed, but feeling a knot in his stomach from what he'd just seen. He glanced around wearily, and was somewhat comforted upon seeing Padfoot was once again at the foot of his bed.

Resting his head against the sheets once more, Harry closed his eyes, knowing there was nothing he could do about the baron right now, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

It seemed like mere seconds had passed, before Harry felt himself being shaken awake. His eyes squinted open, the bright light shining from the window causing him to turn away, as he recognized Sirius' voice.

"I saw your eyes open, you're awake," his godfather kidded gently.

"You know it's not nice to deprive a sick person of their sleep," Harry muttered, hiding the small grin spreading across his lips.

"Oh, still sick?" Sirius asked, sounding mockingly concerned. "I'll just go tell Madam Pomfrey you're not well enough to leave then…"

"No, no, no…that's quite unnecessary," Harry spoke up then reaching out and grasping Sirius' arm before the older wizard could walk away. "I'm fine…I just didn't sleep very well."

"Nightmares?" Sirius asked, with sincere concern this time.

"I'm not sure," Harry replied. He could remember seeing the Bloody Baron at some point during the night…but now wasn't entirely sure it had been real… "I'm sure I'll be fine though," he finally said, grinning lightly.

"Good, because I have news," Sirius said quickly, a smile spreading over his face. "So as soon as you're dressed and ready, we can head upstairs…"

"What news?" Harry asked eagerly. If whatever it was made Sirius happy, he was excited to hear it.

"I'll tell you all at once," Sirius replied hastily. "Now wait here while I get Madam Pomfrey. She'll want to see you again before you leave…and then we can head up to Minerva's office. Everyone's meeting us there for lunch."

The final visit with Madam Pomfrey seemed to take ages for Harry, and when she finally gave the word that Harry could leave, he was out of the bed like a shot. Sirius had brought him a fresh set of clothes to change in to, and soon the two were on their way through the corridors of Hogwarts.

Harry's mind was racing with possibilities as to what the news could be, and opened his mouth to see if he could pry any more information from his godfather, but Sirius spoke first.

"Minerva told me about Troy," he said seriously. "And about what he's doing now."

Harry nodded faintly.

"Looks like we were wrong about him…" he said quietly.

"Yeah, looks that way," Sirius replied. Harry sighed inaudibly. His godfather sounded quite unconvinced.

"He was telling the truth Sirius…even Minerva believes him."

"I know she does," Sirius stated noncommittally, before taking a deep breath and going on. "I want you to show me where the apartment is…the one you followed Troy to."

"Alright," Harry nodded slowly. "I can take you there right after-"

"No, I meant on a map," Sirius interrupted gently. "I want you to point it out to me…we can use a magnifying charm on one of Minerva's so I get an exact location. I want to find the crystals."

"Don't you think it'd be better not to go alone?" Harry asked.

"I won't go alone," Sirius replied quickly. "But you're staying here. From the little information we've been able to gather, we know Adrik and Oren do not want the Shadow Walkers at the school, and even if Troy tells them you're here, it's supposedly going to be a few days at least before he reaches them. So for now, this is where you're the safest. I don't want you leaving this castle for anything."

"Sirius," Harry began quickly, feeling somewhat insulted. "You can't just-"

"Harry I won't argue about this," Sirius cut him off, taking an authoritative tone. He stopped dead in his tracks, turning to face his godson, and a sudden wave of grief washed quickly over his features. Harry remained silent, at a loss for words as his eyes locked with his godfather's, and Sirius began to speak. "I nearly lost you forever…just two days ago," he said quickly, trying to mask the shaking of his voice. "You were nearly killed. I can't let that happen, Harry…I won't."

"Sirius, I know what I did wasn't…the best choice…" Harry said hurriedly, "but I'm not entirely helpless."

"You don't have the crystals…and you don't have a wand," Sirius stated evenly.

"I do have a wand," Harry replied quickly, fishing in his pocket for the replacement and drawing it out. Sirius looked at it skeptically.

"Harry, that thing looks ready to bust…I doubt it could even withstand casting a first level charm."

"Let's find out," Harry shrugged indifferently. "Lumos."

At once, a beam of light shot from the tip of the battered wand, though noticeably fizzling in the area of the hole.

"Great," Sirius replied flatly, turning and beginning to walk again. "So provided we're in a dark room and surrounded by death eaters, you have the slim chance of momentarily blinding them with a blast of not entirely bright light."

"Sirius, that's not fair," Harry said stiffly, extinguishing the light as he caught up with his godfather.

"No, maybe it isn't," Sirius conceded. "But that doesn't change the situation. I'm not asking you to stay inside for the rest of your life, just for a few days…until we have a better grip on the situation, alright?"

Harry didn't like it, and wanted nothing more than to refuse, but found himself nodding faintly.

"Alright," he replied quietly. He didn't want to stay angry with his godfather, and as always, he knew Sirius was only acting this way to keep him safe. Besides, he had no immediate reason to leave the school at the moment.

Harry pushed the thoughts from his head, however, as they finally reached the statue of the gargoyle. Sirius gave the password, and the two started silently up the stairs.


	14. Chapter 14

"Alright," Sirius began after everyone was seated. "I know some of you only have about an hour, so I'll try to go through this quickly."

Harry and Sirius had been the last to arrive in the headmistress' office, finding Minerva, Marzia, Ron, Hermione and Mel already there. After brief hellos and everyone asking Harry how he was, they settled down into the soft chairs and couches to hear what Sirius and Marzia had to say.

"Do you remember what Thurston's story was?" Sirius asked. "His version of what happened the night Simone and Travis were murdered?"

"Sure," Ron said crisply. "He accused Albus of killing both of them…and then said Ewan saw the whole thing…"

"Right," Sirius nodded. "But his exact story was this. Albus kills Travis first, however, Simone happened to see him do it. She tried to stun him at the exact same moment he used the killing curse on her, to make sure she couldn't tell anyone. Both spells hit at the exact same moment, so Simone was dead, and Albus was knocked unconscious, and never knew there was someone watching the whole thing."

"Which we all know is a lie," Harry said darkly.

"Right," Marzia spoke up, "it's proving it that's going to be hard. Though we're a step closer now…" she trailed off, smiling. "We now know, and can prove, that the mark on the wall that had been hidden by the painting came from Simone's wand. It was a stunning charm."

"What does that prove?" Ron inquired, arching an eyebrow. "Thurston said she used a stunning charm…"

"It proves she missed," Hermione said quickly, a glimmer of excitement in her tone. "She fired a stunning charm but she didn't hit anyone."

"She could've just tried again," Ron pointed out.

"Right, but if someone were trying to kill her," Harry began. "They wouldn't have waited for her to try again."

"Besides," Hermione started, "someone obviously hid that mark for a reason. They didn't want us to know Simone missed."

"Well what do we know for certain?" Mel spoke up. "Dumbledore told us he saw the blue light and found Travis dead…then when he was in the office, he heard a noise, but was knocked out before he could see anyone. How does Simone fit in?"

"It had to have been Oren who knocked him out," Harry said quickly, trying to think this through. "So maybe Simone came in right after…saw what he'd done…"

"And tried to stun him!" Hermione exclaimed, continuing quickly. "He must've dodged though…"

"And that explains the mark on the wall," Sirius finished. "Then he killed her before she could try again."

"But Dumbledore's wand was tested…" Mel pointed out, "Proving the killing curse had been shot from it last."

"Then Oren had sense enough to grab it when he dodged," Harry said quietly. "He must've ducked, stooping low enough to grab Albus' wand…which he'd taken out of his robes earlier…and then used it to kill Simone."

"It all makes sense!" Hermione said happily.

"It does indeed," Minerva spoke up for the first time throughout the discussion. "Though it still may not be enough to prove Albus' innocence."

"But-" Hermione began.

"She's right," Marzia nodded. "We can prove two things…that the mark on the wall came from Simone's wand, and that Travis wasn't killed by Avada Kedavra. That's our biggest defense right now. The fact that Dumbledore's wand fired the killing curse last doesn't help us any…we can tell them what we believe is the truth, but it's just our word against theirs."

"Wait," Ron spoke up, his eyes narrowed in confusion. "Go back a minute…if we can prove Travis wasn't killed by Avada Kedavra…isn't that enough? Dumbledore didn't do it, obviously!"

"For most wizards, it would be enough…" Marzia said quickly, "the problem is, we don't have the real murder weapon…the Orb, and it's highly unlikely we will have it for the trial. Once we show them the killing curse wasn't used on Travis, they'll try to say it was something else. Dumbledore has a reputation, after all…he's known for defeating one of the darkest wizards ever to threaten the wizarding world…and doesn't need a wand for everything."

"Without the Orb we can't prove he didn't do it then," Hermione said glumly.

"So then we're still back at square one," Mel added miserably.

"Not entirely," Sirius spoke up. "We have enough right now to make any jury doubt. Thurston won't be handpicking them either, so we have a fighting chance. If they aren't fully positive it was Albus who committed these crimes…"

"A confession still wouldn't hurt," Ron stated flatly.

"Don't hold your breath for that," Harry said with a quiet sigh. "Even if you threatened Thurston with death I doubt he'd tell us the truth…"

"You know, that might not be a bad-" Ron began, grinning mischievously.

"Ron, don't even start," Hermione said warningly, glancing briefly towards the clock in the office before standing quickly. "Sorry to leave in such a hurry, but I have class in twenty minutes…finals are next week, so…"

"Don't worry about it Hermione," Sirius grinned.

"I have to go too," Ron added, standing as well.

"Both of you take care," Minerva said evenly.

"We will," Ron grinned. "See you later."

They all called out their goodbyes, before Minerva finally stood as well.

"I have to get down to the dark arts room, classes begin again shortly," she said quietly. "Glad to see you're feeling well, Harry."

"Thank you Minerva," Harry nodded. "And also…thank you again for taking over the lessons this week…"

"Just make sure you're well rested and ready to return next week," she replied evenly, but gave him a small smile just the same, before finally exiting the office.

"We need to get going as well," Sirius spoke up then. "We promised Arthur we'd meet him back at the ministry after lunch. I'll be back later on though, Harry. And we can find a suitable map."

Harry nodded faintly, still not entirely happy with the idea of not leaving the school…but again, not having any real reason to fight about it for the moment. The four walked down the stairs and into the corridors again, before saying their goodbyes. Sirius and Marzia started off down the hallways together, while Harry and Mel were left alone.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Mel asked, a hint of concern in her voice as her eyes searched his. "Draco told us what happened with Troy last night…after you asked us to leave…and you seemed so…down…"

"No, I'm fine," Harry assured her. "I just didn't want you there for the…well…when the sun set…"

"You know, I'm probably going to see it sooner or later," Mel began quietly.

"Then I'd rather it be later," Harry finished for her quickly, almost apologetically. "It's not pleasant Mel…you shouldn't have to see that."

"And you shouldn't have to experience it," Mel shot back evenly. "But you do…every month, you go through it…"

"I don't exactly have a choice," Harry said quietly, dropping his gaze to the barely visibly bulge showing through Mel's robes. It was a fear that had slowly been building within him, but he couldn't yet voice it. How could he live with Mel…and raise a child…with this curse? What if something ever went wrong? He would never forgive himself…

"I can tell this is bothering you," Mel's voice broke through his thoughts, and he once again raised his eyes. "And after all that's happened, I won't ask you to have this conversation just yet…but we're going to have to have it…soon."

"I know," Harry nodded.

"C'mon," Mel said after a moment, grinning lightly. "I don't know about you, but I'm positively starving."

"Well we can't have that, now can we?" Harry said teasingly, before going on. "Seeing as how lunch is over…I guess our next stop is the kitchen."

Later that evening, Sirius returned, as he promised, to get the location of the apartment Adrik, Lilith and Oren were using. After finding a map of Hogsmeade, Minerva enlarged the image, and Harry showed Sirius the exact building.

"Good," Sirius nodded stiffly. "If the crystals are there, we'll have them back to you in no time."

"When are you going?" Harry asked, feeling a twinge of worry. His godfather was definitely capable, but the Lestranges weren't like other death eaters.

"Tonight," Sirius replied quickly, "the sooner the better."

"And who's going with you?" Harry pressed, glancing towards where Marzia and Mel stood just a few feet away. He doubted Sirius would risk letting his wife come given her present condition…

"Arthur Weasley," Sirius replied. "There will also be several ministers standing by that we can signal to if we need their help…but only Arthur and I will go in to start."

Harry nodded quietly, feeling uneasy, but hiding it. Sirius thanked Minerva for the map as he handed it back to her, and the four wished her good night, before exiting the office.

"Just don't do anything stupid, alright?" Harry said as they reached the hallway below, letting a small grin cross his face. Sirius' smiled wanly.

"I think you definitely qualify as someone not allowed to ask that of anyone," he said, looking pointedly at his godson.

Harry laughed, knowing his godfather was right, but not letting him have the last word.

"So you're telling me, if that had been you, and you had seen Troy in Hogsmeade, and you had the feeling he was sneaking around…"

"Alright, I would have followed him," Sirius conceded, rolling his eyes and sighing lightly. "Point made."

"Thank you," Harry nodded, grinning smugly.

"We're doomed, Mel," Marzia said, shaking her head in mock sadness. "We both ended up with stupidly headstrong men…"

"Hey!" Sirius cried, feigning indignation.

"I can see that," Mel nodded in agreement, hiding a smile as Harry pretended to be insulted. She took a step closer and slipped her arms through one of his. "Oh don't look so shocked," she admonished teasingly. "You were on the verge of saying it yourself just a few seconds ago…"

"So when were you going to tell me you thought I was stupid?" Harry asked, glancing down at Mel as the two began walking, Sirius and Marzia following a few feet behind.

"I don't think you're stupid," Mel said quickly. "Just…well, maybe a bit…pigheaded…sometimes."

"Ah, much better," Harry replied, sardonically, before shaking his head glumly.

"Oh stop," Mel laughed, waiting until he met her gaze before continuing. "I also think you're very brave. Sometimes a little too much for your own good…but brave nonetheless."

Harry smiled, seeing she was being serious, before leaning down and kissing her softly.

"Will you be back tomorrow?" Harry asked as he pulled away.

"Not during the day," Mel said quietly. "I have work…and then there are a few things I need to stop at the store for. But I might be able to come by for dinner…" she trailed off squeezing his hand tightly.

"Good," Harry grinned, kissing her once, before slowly and reluctantly stepping away. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Take care of yourself Harry," Sirius spoke up then, as he and Marzia caught up.

"You better do the same," Harry shot back pointedly, feeling another knot of worry in his gut. He could only hope his godfather would be alright…

After the four exchanged goodbyes, Harry watched them for a moment as they started off the rest of the way down the corridor; he turned down the closest hallway, and made his way towards the great hall for dinner.

Hagrid was quite glad that Harry was finally back, and proceeded to talk his ear off throughout the meal, but Harry didn't mind. He looked out over the tables of students, glad to be there, and not minding the occasional curious stares.

After hearing all about Hagrid's latest pets, which always worried Harry to no end, he asked how classes had been going.

"Same as always," Hagrid replied with a grin. "By now most'a the kids are jes' itchin' to be ou'side…now tha' the weather's gettin' nice."

"How about Hadley?" Harry asked, unable to resist. He'd spoken with her parents just before everything had happened recently, and hadn't had any chance to talk with her since then. Looking out over the crowd of students, he spotted her near the far end of the Slytherin table, eating quietly.

"She's Hadley," Hagrid shrugged with a sigh. "Ain't no other way teh explain it. Been actin' kinda funny toward Devon Murrt lately. Though I don' know what he done teh deserve it."

"Probably nothing," Harry said, rolling his eyes at Hadley's tendency to lash out due to jealousy. His gaze swept over the great hall until he found the Gryffindor table, and Devon. He was sitting with a group of first years and they all seemed to be chatting and laughing. Then, as if he knew Harry was looking at him, Devon's head suddenly turned towards the head table. His eyes met Harry's, and the two remained that way for just seconds, before a small smile spread across Devon's face, and he gave a faint wave, a gesture that Harry returned, before the young boy turned back to his friends.

"How is Devon in your class, Hagrid?" Harry asked suddenly. "Does he say much?"

"No, e's more on the quiet side," Hagrid replied. "But e's smart, that one. Listens teh yeh, and understands."

Harry nodded, not truly surprised. Devon was very similar to Hermione when it came to school, just without the voice.

These thoughts went silent in Harry's mind, however, as he caught sight of a black cloak moving swiftly away from the head table. He turned to see Snape moving quickly down the far aisle, his face expressionless as he went. Harry glanced up and down the table. Everyone was here, the students were all still eating, and would probably heading back to their dorms afterwards…this was a chance to speak with the potions master undisturbed.

"Excuse me Hagrid," Harry said apologetically, standing quickly from his seat. "There's something I have to do, but I'll see you in the morning, alright?"

Hagrid wasn't upset, and wished Harry a good night before the young wizard made his way quickly to the back of the great hall as well, and exited into the corridor.

Starting immediately towards the dungeon area, Harry half jogged down the hallway, wanting to speak with Snape as soon as possible. When he turned the last corner, he saw the door to the potion master's office was just closing, and quickly ran the short distance.

Rapping his knuckles rapidly against the hard wooden door, Harry didn't wait for a reply, and pushed it open. Snape, as usual, was not delighted to see him, and stood halfway across the office, glaring at the younger man who had just burst into his office. Harry opened his mouth to apologize at once, knowing what he just did was rude, but the anger in Snape's eyes…for which he saw no real reason, caused him to harden.

"We have to talk about the crystals," Harry said evenly, his own eyes narrowing in determination; he was not going to be deterred this time.

"What gives you the right to simply barge into my office unannounced and demand my attention Potter?" Snape hissed, his eyes flashing. "Still think of yourself as above the rest of us, do you?"

"You know I don't," Harry stated evenly.

"Get out," Snape spat icily, "I don't have the time for-"

"Professor Snape I won't let this go any longer," Harry stated crisply, refusing to sway as he stood in front of the still-open door. Their eyes were locked together, both filled with determination and anger. "Sirius has gone to look for the crystals…"

"Of course he has, stupid ignorant man…he'll probably get himself killed."

"He isn't stupid," Harry said angrily, but caught himself before he could get into that argument, seeing the tiny grin cross Snape's lips. "If he finds them, I'm going to start using them again, no matter what you say…"

"And you always know what's best for yourself, don't you Potter?" Snape asked, jeeringly. "Never made a decision that got you into trouble…"

"Then help me!" Harry said loudly, suddenly feeling a rush of furiously mixed emotions and not holding them back. "Why won't you help me with them? You've done nothing but avoid the subject for nearly a year! Tell me what I'm doing wrong…why couldn't I get them to work half the time?" Snape made no reply, and started to turn away, but Harry rushed on recklessly, "I'm sorry you weren't offered the position for the dark arts…I'm sorry you didn't get along with my father…I'm sorry I remind you of him…" he paused, his tone softening, "But I'm not him…this is my life…and I need your help Professor Snape…" he trailed off, never dropping his eyes.

The potions master kept a stony glare fixed upon Harry throughout his outburst, and it faltered only slightly, near the end. Nevertheless he still turned away, walking silently across the office towards his desk, and lowering himself down into the chair behind it. Harry watched him stiffly; Snape was just going to ignore him again…

"Sit down, Potter," Snape said so quietly that Harry thought he might have misheard, until he saw the potions master gesture to a chair on the opposite side of the desk. Pushing the door shut behind him, Harry crossed the room quickly, and lowered himself into the seat.

"I can't help you," Snape said quietly.

"What?" Harry asked before he could think. "Why not? You're the only one who…"

"Potter," Snape cut in sharply. "Listen to what I'm going to tell you, because I will not repeat it." Harry just nodded, feeling a terrible knot in his stomach, but remained silent.

"When we began our lessons with the stones," Snape began, "after what happened last year, it didn't go well from the start. Our minds are connected now, Harry…but I have the control over that power…I can hear your thoughts, but you cannot hear mine unless I allow it. That is the gift of the instructor. The stones, however, are yours and yours alone. Anything I say will have no influence over them unless you wish it."

"I know," Harry said quietly. "I remember hearing you…in my mind, but not when I had control of the crystals. They won't listen to me when you're there…and I could never get around that…"

"I was quite aware of that, yes," Snape nodded stiffly. "I too, could not get past the barrier they would form, I couldn't read your thoughts…it was only silence."

"Why though?" Harry asked quietly. "I don't understand…I heard you with perfect clearness during the fight with Voldemort last year…why can't I anymore? Is something wrong with the stones? Am I doing something wrong?"

"No," Snape shook his head faintly, an unreadable expression on his dark features as he sat rigidly in his chair. If possible, he looked paler than usual. "You were doing nothing wrong…I was the reason the crystals would no longer respond properly."

"But…how?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"Don't you understand?" Snape asked, obviously frustrated. "We're connected…mentally…the crystals can sense…" he trailed off, and his eyes dropped to his hands, which were clenched together tightly; it was in that moment that Harry understood. The crystals didn't obey him when Snape was around, because there was a part of the potions master that always had, and always would hold feelings of dislike…and hatred, against Harry…and his father. The stones couldn't work through the conflict.

This wasn't what Harry was expecting, not in the least. If it had been some outside force blocking the crystals…something possessing them…they could have worked together to overcome the obstacle. But the obstacle was the instructor.

"Professor…there must be something we can do…to…to…" Harry trailed off, searching for words. "I need to use the crystals…"

"You still can," Snape said quietly. "But I can't help you." He was silent for a long moment, looking as if he wanted to go on. After several more minutes, he finally raised his eyes to meet Harry's once more. "Despite what your godfather seems to think…I don't want you dead, Potter. When you have the crystals again, tell them to cut me off…everything you need to know will be given to you then…"

"That's it?" Harry asked weakly. "Just tell them to-"

"If you want the powers they can offer you…and complete control, then it is the only way. I don't know what you'll feel, but it shouldn't take very long…you won't know what's going on around you when it happens, but when it's finished, they will be yours."

"Why…" Harry began, feeling a twinge of anger, but keeping his voice calm. "Why didn't you tell me this before? I could've used the crystals all this time…"

Again Snape made no reply…either he wouldn't…or he couldn't, but just as before, Harry understood as he looked back into the potions master's black eyes, and saw guilt. Snape never intended for any harm to come to Harry, but that's exactly what it took for him to be able to say even this much. He simply couldn't before…whether it was pride, or hate…he just couldn't have voiced it before now.

"What if Sirius doesn't find the crystals?" Harry asked quietly. "How do I track them then?"

Snape was silent for a long moment, before shaking his head just barely.

"Let us hope he does."

Several hours later, Harry was sitting wide-awake in his office. He had tried to sleep, but found it was impossible, as all he could think about was Sirius and Arthur. If anything happened to them…

His thoughts were interrupted however, when the flames in the fireplace rose up, and Sirius' face appeared within them.

"Sirius!" Harry cried, feeling a sudden rush of relief as he jumped up from his seat, running to the fireplace and dropping to his knees before it.

"I thought you might be awake," Sirius said, half grinning, though Harry could tell he was forcing it.

"What's wrong?" he asked at once. "Was someone hurt?"

"No," Sirius replied at once, shaking his head glumly. "No one was hurt, because there was no one there…the place was deserted."

Harry nodded slowly, disappointed, but glad his godfather was safe.

"We'll have to find them some other way then…" he said quietly.

"We're going to find them, Harry," Sirius replied, determinedly.

Harry nodded again, knowing his godfather was right. Seeing how drained Sirius looked, Harry told him they could finish speaking tomorrow, and told him to get some rest, before the face disappeared from the flames.

Harry had no doubt he would see Adrik and the others again…they wanted him dead, didn't they? And it was only a matter of time before they realized, if they didn't know already, that he'd escaped from the cult. What he wanted to know, however, was how they'd gotten in to get the crystals in the first place…and how they intended to use them if he was dead.

He slept uneasily that night, questions and worries racing through his mind, not letting up, and when the sun was finally stinging his eyes as he lay, exhausted, on top of his covers, he groaned and rubbed sorely at his eyes, before forcing himself to sit up.

He didn't necessarily need to be awake for anything, but he honestly couldn't relax with all that was going on…especially since there was so little he could do about any of it.

Making his way down to the great hall, Harry realized classes had already begun for the day, so when he entered the large room and found it full of half the first year students, he was a bit surprised.

Hadley was closest to him, sitting once again near the end of the Slytherin table, a glass of milk and a book in front of her, and Harry immediately started forward, stopping just near her seat.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" he asked, as she realized someone was standing beside her and glanced up.

"Does it matter?" Hadley asked, shrugging casually. "If I said no you'd do it anyway."

"If you want to be alone I'll leave," Harry said, sincerely, taking a step back.

Hadley seemed to consider this for a moment tilting her head to one side, before speaking again.

"You can sit…I don't mind."

"Thank you," Harry said, crossing to the opposite side of the table and lowering himself onto the bench. "Why aren't you all in class?" he asked curiously.

"Transfiguration was cancelled this week," Hadley replied quickly. "Professor McGonagall said Professor Ryan is sick…and since she's doing your lessons this week, I guess there's no one with the time to do his. But she said if he's not better by next week, she'll be taking over for him until he comes back."

"Oh," Harry said quietly. He hadn't even thought about it. Hadley went back to the book she had been glancing through, looking bored, and bending the page corners unevenly.

"Why are you sitting by yourself, Hadley?" Harry asked, seeing a group of Slytherin first years midway up the table.

"Because I'm reading," Hadley replied stiffly, lifting her book away from the table and holding up in front of her face, as if to emphasize that fact.

"Really?" Harry asked, skeptically, glancing at the title. "What book is that?"

Hadley was silent for a long moment, before quickly lowering the book and flipping it shut to see the title, obviously not having been reading at all.

"Not like it matters," she muttered indignantly. "I won't be here next year anyway…"

"Not like what matters?" Harry asked.

"Them," Hadley said stiffly, nodding faintly towards the other Slytherins. "They won't talk to me anymore…"

"Why not?" Harry asked, softly.

Hadley simply shrugged, setting the book down on the table before folding her hands over it and resting her chin on them. "They hate me."

"Hadley," Harry began, gently. "I'm sure they don't hate you…" though part of him actually doubted that statement. He remembered how Draco had actually turned a good number of his housemates against Mel for befriending him last year…but Hadley didn't need to hear that now. "Have you tried talking to them?"

"They said I might lose them the house cup," she said indifferently, "because I lose so many points…I don't try to, though!"

Harry glanced up the table at the other Slytherins, some of whom were noticing he and Hadley speaking, and watching with interest, though they were too far up to hear.

"Hadley," Harry began, not wanting to offend the small girl, and trying to think of how to say this. "Most of the time when you get in trouble, it's because of fighting with other students…"

"You used to get into fights all the time," Hadley shot back quickly, before Harry could continue, causing him to visibly pause, before regaining his voice.

"Hadley…how do…how would you know anything about me getting into fights or not? You weren't here when I was in school," he said quietly.

Hadley went silent then, her eyes fixed intently on her fidgeting hands.

"Hadley?" Harry prompted after a few moments of silence, but keeping a firm tone. "Answer my question please."

"Just from things I've heard," Hadley shrugged at last. "From the older kids in my house…they said you and someone named Draco used to fight all the time…"

Harry looked at her carefully. While the excuse was, in fact, one he could believe…he didn't. She'd seemed to know far too many things about several of the other students in the school…things she couldn't have been told.

"Are you going to have any more extra lessons?" Hadley asked suddenly, in an attempt to change the subject. "I think I can do a good Patronus now…I really do."

"I'm sure you could," Harry nodded. "I'm not sure about the lesson though, if I can I will."

Hadley nodded faintly, before once again flipping the book on the table open, and gazing blankly at the pages. Harry watched her for a few moments…she was so young, and a good deal of the time acted as immature as any child he'd ever known. But there had been occasions, when the look in her eyes made her seem as old as Dumbledore.

Her mention of the Patronus Charm made Harry think of the night that started those lessons…the night Hadley was attacked. They still had no idea why someone had tried to do that to her…and why they had given up so easily. But whoever it was, they couldn't have just been trying for nothing could they? She didn't even remember leaving the school so someone must've gotten inside to get to her…just as someone had gotten inside to get the crystals.

"Hadley," Harry began, the faintest glimmer of hope building inside of him as she looked up to meet his eyes. "I want to ask you something, and if it bothers you let me know, and we don't have to talk about it, alright?"

"Alright," she replied warily.

"On the night that you were in the dark forest," he began, seeing a hint of fear pass over her face as he said this. "I know you don't remember much about that evening, but is there anything you can tell me…no matter how small you think it is…about what happened while you were still in the school? Do you remember anyone strange in the halls? Or how far you made it before you blacked out?"

"I don't remember professor," Hadley replied in a small voice. "I didn't see anyone…"

"You didn't notice anything out of place…even slightly?" Harry prodded, but knowing it was no use as she shook her head slowly. She couldn't help him. "Alright," he said, nodding resignedly. "Thank you."

Hadley looked across at him for a long moment, before speaking quietly.

"What's wrong?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

"Nothing," Harry replied, giving her a reassuring grin. "Everything's fine."

Hadley nodded quietly, and Harry could tell she didn't believe him, but she seemed to shrug it off quickly enough. She reached out for the glass of milk then, and Harry would swear she flicked at it, causing it to tip. But she jumped up immediately as if it were an accident, looking startled.

"Sorry!" she said quickly, reaching for the glass at the same time as Harry did. He felt a small shiver run through his blood as their skin brushed, but it was gone the second he pulled away.

Harry eyed the small girl curiously as he set the empty glass right again, only to see she was looking back at him in much the same manner, as they both took their seats again.

Hadley glanced immediately towards the clock then, and jumped right back up from the bench.

"I have to go, Herbology is starting in a few minutes," she said quickly.

Before Harry could utter a word, Hadley was already at the door, and stepped quickly out of sight into the hallway beyond.

The next hour passed by so slowly, Harry felt as if time were standing still. He had tried to eat after Hadley had left in such a hurry, but found he wasn't hungry. So he waited. Waited and paced and checked his watch well over thirty times. Hadley had done something…he knew it…and he wanted to know what it was.

When it was nearing time for the Herbology lesson to be getting out, Harry made his way to the greenhouses and waited outside the one for first years. The moment he spotted Hadley, walking by herself, he stepped forward from his place beside the door, and she jumped when he called her name.

"I didn't see you…" she said, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry," Harry apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"What do you want?" she asked bluntly then, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"To talk," Harry replied quickly.

"Well, I have lunch now…and then…"

"Good," Harry cut her off, a small smile on his face. "Then we'll talk over lunch…we can eat in my office."

Hadley went noticeably pale at the suggestion, but made no argument.

"We can stop at the kitchen first…" Harry began.

"I'm not hungry," Hadley replied flatly.

Harry looked down at her, intending to argue the matter, but saw the look in her eyes, and said nothing. It was one of her rare moments…when she looked like the weight of the world were resting on her shoulders…and she was resigned to holding it up, until someone else took over. Her penetrating blue eyes stared at him, and into him…

The two made their way up to his office quietly, and Harry led her over to the couch, sitting down a few feet to her left, before starting.

"Hadley, what did you do this morning? When the glass fell over…?"

"It was an accident," she replied quietly.

"Hadley, that's not what I meant. What did you do when our hands touched?"

Hadley's eyes dropped to her feet, looking at them with such intensity one might believe they were the most interesting items in existence.

"I don't know how your crystals were stolen," she said finally, still refusing to raise her gaze.

Harry could feel his jaw dropping, and quickly clamped it shut.

"How do you know about the crystals?" he finally managed to ask.

"That's why you were asking me about that night, wasn't it?" Hadley replied quickly, lifting her eyes to meet his. "You wanted to know if I'd seen how the person had gotten in…that way you'd know how they got to your crystals too."

"Yes that was why I was asking," Harry said, nodding, still in a state of shock. "But how do you know that?"

"Because I read you," Hadley said quietly. "I can do it…when I touch people."

"Do what?" Harry asked, wanting a better explanation.

Hadley sighed, shaking her head slowly.

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone…" she said quietly. "My parents said it's not good to be able to read people."

"Then I promise I won't tell them about this conversation," Harry said seriously. "But it's very important that you tell me what's going on."

Hadley nodded softly, and when she began speaking, her voice was calm and even.

"I can see other people's thoughts when I touch them," Hadley explained. "The longer I hold on, the stronger the thoughts come through."

"Every time you touch someone this happens?" Harry asked.

"Well…when I want it to," Hadley said slowly. "When I was younger…I couldn't control it…so then it was every time. As I got older I was just able to start blocking it off…" she trailed off for a minute, her eyes looking far off at something Harry couldn't see, before she spoke again, softly. "It was so horrible when I was younger though…"

"So this is how you knew about Ariele…and Samantha…and everyone else you had an argument with," Harry said, quietly.

"Yes," Hadley nodded faintly.

Harry shook his head in wonder.

"Hadley," he began gently. "What you have is a gift, and you shouldn't abuse it by using it against your classmates. There are certain powers that only a few wizards and witches are born with…and you were lucky enough to have been granted two, since you can speak Parseltongue as well. Don't keep using this other gift…this ability to read people, only to snoop around, and steal secrets that aren't yours…"

"I know…I'm sorry…" she said quietly, trailing off.

Harry only felt sadness for Hadley then. She had enormous powers that could be easily misused, but had no idea what to do with them. And after just one meeting with her parents, he doubted very much they would offer much in the way of guidance. It sounded like they'd rather she ignore the powers.

He felt better knowing though…and wanted to help her if he could, to understand the responsibility that came with such power…

Glancing at his watch, however, Harry realized there was only fifteen minutes left before lunch was over, and he didn't want to make her late for her next class, as she hadn't even had time to stop back at her dorm to drop off her books from Herbology.

"Thank you for telling me the truth, Hadley," he said sincerely, and glad to see her smile a little at this. "I won't keep you any longer right now…"

"Thank you professor," she said hurriedly, looking relieved to be allowed to go as she grabbed her books and started immediately for the door. But just before stepping out into the hall, she stopped. Harry looked on curiously, watching and waiting for Hadley to do something…until finally, she slowly turned back around.

"There is something else," she began reluctantly. "Something I think you might want to know…"

"What is it?" Harry asked curiously, seeing the conflict in the girl's eyes.

"I don't even know how much it would help you…" Hadley said quickly, looking as if she very much regretted saying anything now. She glanced out into the hallway, and said nothing for a long moment.

"Hadley," Harry began, not wanting to pressure her but very curious to know what she had been planning to tell him. "Maybe if you just tell me-"

"I didn't hold the connection long enough," Hadley interrupted, shaking her head. "I only got a glimpse…you probably don't even care about him anymore."

"Him?" Harry repeated, now almost anxious to hear. "Him who?"

Hadley seemed to teeter for a moment, unsure if she wanted to answer, but suddenly spoke so quickly it was as if she wanted to get it out before she could change her mind.

"Jared Graham. I heard the name in your head…but I was only looking for why you wanted to ask me about the night someone snuck in, so I didn't pay much attention…"

"What do you know about Jared Graham?" Harry asked, shocked.

Hadley shrugged.

"Nearly everything, I suppose. Anything that my parents knew…and my grandparents…and my great-grandparents. He was my great-great-grandfather."

For a moment, Harry could not even speak, never once having expected this.

"My parents told me I shouldn't talk about him either, though," Hadley said quietly.

"Do they talk about him?" Harry asked, wondering how she would know nearly everything about him, as she claimed.

"Never," Hadley said quickly. "They won't."

"Then how would you know…?"

"I know because they know," Hadley said, realizing what he was asking. "When I was a baby, any time one of my parents…or anyone else, held me…I had no way to control my power then. Everything they ever thought or knew became part of what I knew…" she trailed off, smiling a little. "They thought I was really smart at first, I learned how to talk so quickly…but they figured it out later on…" she trailed off glumly.

"Hadley…will you tell me about Jared?" Harry asked, eagerly. "It's very important that I know more about him…"

"Will you show me why?" Hadley asked quietly, and seeing Harry's puzzled look, she finally set down her things, and crossed the room back to where he stood. She slowly reached out a hand, letting it hover near one of his, and looked up at him, hopefully.

"Hadley, I'm not sure that's a good-" Harry began.

"I've already seen most of it," Hadley interrupted quietly.

"Most of…? How?" Harry asked, taken aback.

"The night we were both in the hospital wing…you fell asleep on my bed. I can't control it when I sleep…" she trailed off, a barely visible shiver running through her, and Harry suddenly understood. That's why she had woken up trying to push him away, seeming so frantic. She'd been dreaming, but reading his mind…

"I didn't like those dreams," she stated quietly.

"I'm sorry," Harry stated, sincerely. Hadley could have relived any of his own horrible experiences throughout his life. "If I had known that would happen…"

"It's alright," Hadley replied quietly, before her eyes dropped once again to their hands, still near each other. "Can I?" she asked.

Harry still didn't like the idea, but after a moment, found himself nodding faintly. He needed to know about Jared…and if this was the only way she would tell him…

Hadley moved her hand forward, and wrapped her small fingers partially around his wrist. Harry felt the same brief coldness as before, and waited, thinking Hadley looked perfectly normal while she was doing this…and he realized no one would know she was ever reading their minds…if someone were to walk in to the office right now it would look like she was holding his hand, and that's it. Her eyes were open, she was breathing regularly, and at one point she even cleared her throat.

After three or four minutes, Hadley finally released her grip, and took a step back.

"I don't know what you need to," she said apologetically. "I don't know anything about any Shadow Walkers…"

"Will you tell me what you do know?" Harry asked, not sure if it would help any, but feeling the more he did know…the better.

Hadley seemed to consider for a moment, before glancing towards the clock.

"I'm late for class," she said, not sounding as if it were terribly important to her.

"Which one?"

"History of Magic."

"I'll speak with Professor Binns," Harry said quickly. "I'll tell him I needed to speak with you, you won't get in any trouble."

Again, the thoughtful expression crossed Hadley's face, though it didn't take long to decide between sitting through a boring lecture or remaining here, and finally she nodded.

"Alright," she said quietly. "I'll tell you what I know…just promise you won't tell my parents…" she trailed off, looking suddenly worried.

"I promise," Harry nodded, as the two once again took seats on the couch.

Hadley was silent for a long moment, and Harry waited patiently, before finally she started to talk.

At first, she told Harry some of what he already knew…what Caleb had told he and his friends several months back. She knew when Jared had gone to school, and who his friends had been. She knew of several incidents during which he'd had spats with his instructors…and with his father…but nothing that seemed to be of much relevance to anything Harry needed to know.

"What about when he was out of school?" Harry asked during one pause. "Do you know anything about that time for him?"

"Well…I know he stayed with Victoria…they married, and my great-grandfather was born…Leto. Then it was another ten years before my great-aunt Jessica was born, but I never knew her…and then right after she was born, Victoria died."

"Does anyone know how she died?" Harry asked, gently.

"My great-grandfather thinks his father killed her," Hadley said quietly.

"Jared killed Victoria?" Harry asked, his eyes going wide.

"That's what Leto thinks," Hadley replied evenly. "He was ten years old when it happened."

"But why would he think that?" Harry asked.

"Because Jared was always angry at Victoria from when he can remember," Hadley said. "Leto always saw them fighting…I think Victoria was stronger than Jared…and Leto thinks that's why Jared always wanted her around."

"Was Jared jealous?" Harry asked.

"No…well, maybe," Hadley said, uncertainly. "But he didn't seem to mind when they were getting along…it was when Victoria was going to leave that he got angry."

"Did he…wouldn't he try to talk to her about it? Instead of just killing her?"

"He didn't kill her right away," Hadley said, shaking her head. "That's why Leto saw them fighting so much…they stayed together for years, and even had another child…Jessica. But Victoria wasn't happy, and wanted to take both children…"

"So Jared made sure she couldn't."

"Right," Hadley nodded solemnly. "After that, he took Leto and Jessica…and moved up into the mountains…teaching them magic and raising them without anyone else's influence…except for two of his friends…Adrik and Lilith, they were there a lot…Jared actually had them showing Leto and Jessica magic, teaching them and stuff…and he would go away all the time. No one knows where…but each time he came back, he was stronger…and Leto hated him for it…"

"What about Jessica?" Harry asked, feeling sorry for the poor girl despite that he'd never even met her. This must've been the only way of life she'd known for a long time. "How did she feel about all of this?"

"I don't know much about her," Hadley admitted quietly. "I know during the time she and Leto were getting lessons from Adrik and Lilith, they started off getting along…but Jessica didn't hate everything as much as Leto did…he just wanted to leave. Which he did, as soon as he was eighteen..."

"Jared let him go?" Harry asked.

"He didn't care," Hadley replied. "At least Leto doesn't think he did…he didn't try to stop him from leaving though. And that's the last time he saw his father…I don't know much about what happened to Jared after that…but everyone in my family says he's dead."

Harry nodded, though he was wondering how valid that fact really was, he wasn't going to bring it up now though, Hadley wouldn't know anything her relatives hadn't known…

"Did Leto ever see Jessica again?" Harry asked quietly.

"Yes," Hadley nodded slowly. "They saw each other…but not for a long time…over thirty years had gone by. Jessica was married…and pregnant…but her husband was a muggle, and Leto didn't like that at all…" she trailed off, an air of foreboding in her tone.

"What did he do?" Harry asked, tensely.

"He wanted to kill him…the muggle," Hadley said quietly. "But he still loved Jessica, despite who she was with, and so he wouldn't murder her husband. When Leto finally met him…he did all he could to scare him away…and it worked. Jessica's husband was…well…horrified, to find out what she'd been keeping from him…I don't think he even gave her a chance to explain herself before he left…then, a few months later, her son was born…and she died soon after giving birth…" she trailed off, looking sad for a moment. "Leto hated her son…because he was part muggle…and because she died having him. He refused to take him in…and sent him off to an orphanage instead…"

Harry listened to all of this in utter silence, feeling there was something horrifyingly familiar about this tale.

"Hadley…do you know the name of Jessica's husband…or her son?" he asked quietly.

"Um…" she paused, trying to remember…when a light seemed to dawn in her eyes. "Tom, I think…yes, they both had the same name…Tom Riddle."

Harry felt his stomach flip. Hadley was related to Voldemort…and not only that, but she too, was an heir of Salazar Slytherin. She would have to be…the question was, did that make Jared an heir as well? Or Victoria? The relation only could have come through one of them. And aside from that, it meant Grindelwald and Voldemort were related…but they had never known each other, they couldn't. Tom Riddle was sent away from his relatives, to live with muggles, so he never would have known Jared…

"That's all I know," Hadley spoke up then, drawing him out of his thoughts, looking almost apologetic.

"No, that's fine," Harry said quickly, feeling horribly for her all of a sudden. How terrible to have grown up, having this knowledge forced upon you, before knowing anything else. "Hadley, thank you," he said sincerely. "I appreciate this more than you know."

Hadley looked up at him uncertainly, her piercing blue eyes searching his, before she smiled faintly.

"You're welcome, professor," she said quietly.

Harry smiled weakly back at her, wishing he would've known this long ago, but there was no way to change that now. What he had to do from here, was tell the others what he'd just been told…he didn't know if it would help anything, but it was more than they knew before.

"Hadley, why don't you head back to your common room for now," Harry said gently. "There's something I have to do."

Hadley nodded faintly, before gathering up her things, and quietly exiting the office. Harry waited until he heard her footsteps fading away up the corridor, before going to the hearth. He didn't know where Sirius and Marzia were, but he had to try to find them now. Hermione wouldn't be home, neither would Ron…and Mel was at work. So after throwing in a half a pinch of floo powder, Harry waited, hoping someone would answer at his house.

After several minutes of nothing, Harry ended the summon, and tried the ministry instead. Mr. Weasley's office was the only channel he knew there besides Dumbledore's, but that line went unanswered as well. Feeling it couldn't hurt to try, Harry next attempted to reach Ron and Hermione, but as expected, neither one picked up, both out at work and school.

Harry sighed, not wanting to wait much longer to tell someone, but realizing he was going to have to. But as he was placing the powder back above the mantle, he decided on the spot to try Mel's job anyway. He didn't want to disturb her, but this way, if she saw Marzia or Sirius at least, she could tell them to contact him.

Harry waited…and waited…and waited…but there was no answer. Cold worry immediately began to settle in…as he wasn't calling an empty house…he was calling a place of business…one that should be very much open and running at the moment, but yet no one was answering.

Maybe they're just really busy, he thought to himself, entirely unconvinced, and his feelings of worry only increased the longer the line remained dead.

Ending the summon abruptly, Harry turned and moved quickly across his office. The last class for the day had ended not too long ago…and he needed to speak with Minerva. She would be able to contact someone…anyone…to find out what was going on.

As he reached the first corner, however, he heard voices…arguing. The person talking stopped abruptly, just as Harry turned into the hall, and he spotted Hadley halfway up the corridor, looking intently at Devon, who was outside the Gryffindor common room again, his toad, Les, on the floor nearby.

"Professor," Devon said, looking up at Harry as he neared them. Hadley, who hadn't seen Harry coming, spun around, a confused look on her face.

"Professor," she began as well. "I was just…"

"Listen, both of you," Harry cut her off, feeling horribly for doing so…but he had to get to Minerva now. "There's something very important that I have to take care of, so I need both of you to get into your common rooms now. If there's something either of you need to talk about, I promise we'll do it later."

"But-" Hadley began, earnestly.

"Hadley, please, just do as I ask," Harry said, trying to sound firm, and hating himself for it. He knew it seemed as though he were brushing her off, and under any other circumstances, he would never behave this way.

"Yes sir," she replied, a hint of anger in her tone as she turned away and quickly stalked down the hall. Harry looked to Devon, who didn't seem to be causing any trouble, keeping to himself with his toad, and nodded faintly, getting ready to continue on his way, when he heard a noise behind him.

Both Harry and Devon turned, seeing nothing at first, but hearing something, as it grew louder, Harry would swear it sounded like rushing air.

"Wait here," he said firmly to Devon, starting back up the hall towards the sound. He only made it halfway there, however, when a massive silver flash shot out of the wall, crossing directly in front of him. Nearly falling over backwards, Harry staggered to keep his balance as he turned to see the light had vanished, it came from the wall to his right, and disappeared into the one on his left. After he waited a few more moments, entirely still, but there was nothing more, Harry turned and started quickly back down the hall.

"Devon, I think you need to get inside, now," he said quickly, not wanting the young boy out in the hallway after whatever it was he'd just seen. Something very wrong was going on here… Devon, whose eyes were fixed on the spot that the light had disappeared into glanced quickly up at Harry, and nodded.

"Yes sir," he replied in a small voice. Harry waited until the young Gryffindor was safely through the portrait hole, making sure it was shut tightly behind him, before taking off through the halls, heading for the headmistress' office.

When he reached the stone gargoyle only minutes later, he spat out the password through quick breaths, and raced up the stairs.

"Minerva!" he called out as he pushed through the door. "We need to-" he cut off abruptly seeing her standing stock still in front of an opening in one of the office walls. It had slid sideways to reveal what reminded Harry of a television, similar to the one he'd seen at Ron and Hermione's apartment. Minerva turned her head towards him abruptly, her features were etched onto her face like stone, and she was horribly pale.

"What is it…?" he asked, feeling fresh dread building in his gut.

"Harry…" she said, sounding uncharacteristically frail. Her voice was shaking. "Maybe you better…"

"Minerva, what's going on?" Harry demanded, feeling she was going to ask him to wait…or leave…two things he was not about to do. His head was racing with everything happening, seemingly out of nowhere, and moving so quickly. As he stepped further into the office, he caught a glimpse of what was on the screen. It was showing several images at once, on each of the four corners, and he realized easily enough, that whichever one you looked at was the one you heard sound for.

The one that caught Harry's attention however, and the one that suddenly made his blood run cold, was the one showing an image he immediately recognized as part of Diagon Alley.

"Harry wait," Minerva said at once, seeing him step closer.

"That's Madam Malkin's," Harry said, surprisingly calm, but unable to move his eyes away from the image. The building he was looking at had been utterly destroyed…and when the words of the news reporter finally came through, Harry felt a wave of stunned, horrified, shock and disbelief.

There had been an attack, centered on the small shop alone…several people had been injured…and one employee had been found…dead.

The moment the words had a chance to sink in, Harry felt an overwhelming wave of sickness wash over him, and had to take hold of the nearest chair back to remain standing.

"Who?" he asked, his voice barely audible as he looked pleadingly at Minerva. "Who's dead?"

"I don't know Harry," Minerva replied sadly, coming to his side, and putting a hand on his arm. "They won't give the name until the family has been notified."

"Oh God," Harry muttered weakly, his hands were shaking terribly, and he didn't think he could stand for much longer. "It was Adrik, I know it was…he was there for Mel…"

"Harry we don't know anything yet," McGonagall said, trying to force reassurance into her tone.

Harry wasn't listening though. His head was spinning, as was the world around him. He couldn't think, he could barely even breathe…Mel…the woman he loved, the woman carrying his child…the thought of her dead was almost too much for him to take…but he forced his breathing to steady, and blinked fiercely against the tears stinging his eyes, threatening to unleash his grief.

"Harry, come here…you need to sit down," Minerva said quickly, leading him around to the opposite side of the chair and lowering him into it. She, too, was obviously holding back against tears

"We have to get down there," Harry said evenly. "I have to know…"

"No Harry," McGonagall began, "You have to stay here until-"

"Minerva, I won't just-" Harry started to interrupt, but cut off abruptly as the door to the office swung open with a bang.

"Harry!" Sirius cried in relief, rushing across the room to his godson's side.

"Sirius, we have to get to Diagon Alley," Harry began quickly.

"I was just there," Sirius said grimly. "I came here as soon as I could."

Harry's eyes went wide as he jumped out of his chair.

"Is Mel alright?" he asked at once. "The news said someone died, Sirius please…tell me she's alright…" he trailed off, staring intently at his godfather.

"She wasn't there," Sirius stated solemnly. "When the report of the attack came in to the ministry and I heard where it was, Arthur and I got over there as fast as we could. One of the women working there was killed in the attack, and according to several witnesses, Mel was there when it started but…they…they took her, Harry. Whoever it was…they were there for Mel, and if I had to guess, I'd say it was Adrik Lestrange."

Harry stared back at his godfather in blank shock. There was a part of him that was so relieved he wanted to laugh aloud…Mel was alive! But the dread and panic over what Adrik could possibly want with her quashed any relief he was feeling, leaving him utterly helpless as to what he could do.

"We have to find her," Harry said determinedly, his eyes becoming steely and hard. "Who knows what Adrik will do to her, we have to ger her back now."

"We will, Harry, I promise," Sirius said at once, glancing at the door quickly. "I have to get back, Arthur's waiting…we'll see if we can get any leads at the scene…"

"I'm coming," Harry said at once.

"No Harry, you're staying right here," Sirius replied evenly.

"Sirius, you can't expect me to-"

"Harry, think about it…why would someone take Mel?" Sirius asked quickly. "To lure you out…no, you're staying right here and that's final."

"Not this time," Harry replied stubbornly, matching Sirius' glare evenly. "I won't sit here and do nothing."

Sirius' stony expression softened then, and he looked almost regretful as he stared back into Harry's eyes, before he glanced at Minerva and nodded. Harry turned to see she had her wand out, pointed at him.

"Vincio termino Hogwarts."

Before Harry had a chance to react, he was hit with a spray of light from the tip of her wand, and staggered backwards from the heavy, weighted feeling that accompanied it. When it had settled, he looked up, glancing back and forth from his godfather to the headmistress.

"What did you do?" he asked, stiffly.

"I'm so sorry, Harry," Sirius replied, earnestly. "It's for your own good…"

"Sirius what did you do?" Harry asked loudly, trying to control his anger.

"I have to go, Arthur's waiting," Sirius said quietly. He turned away, and quickly made it through the door, leaving his godson staring after him in stunned silence. Harry turned to look at Minerva, who's expression was grim, but stern…though he could see regret as well, and only felt cold dread closing over him. Without a word, he ran towards the door of the office, ignoring her calling after him, and sprinted after Sirius, who had obviously been moving quickly through the halls, as he only caught up with him near the entrance.

"Sirius!" he shouted as he his godfather finally came into view, and he sprinted the last few meters.

"Harry, I have to go…the longer we delay this…"

"Sirius please, just…whatever you did…whatever Minerva did…" Harry stammered, fearing he already knew, and praying he was wrong.

"I'll be in touch the second I know anything," Sirius said quickly, a guilty gleam in his eyes, before pushing the door open and stepping through into the early evening air. Harry reached out to stop him from leaving, but his hand hit something…something he couldn't see, and his fears were confirmed in that second. He was trapped…he couldn't leave the school.

Harry glanced up at Sirius, feeling saddened and betrayed, and his godfather could only look back at him regretfully, from just outside the invisible barrier.

"Don't do this…please Sirius," Harry said evenly, a dead, cold, anger building in his gut. If the situation had been reversed…and it was Marzia that had been taken, and not Mel, he would never try to stop Sirius from helping…

"I'm sorry," was all Sirius could say in reply, and despite his obvious sincerity, Harry found he didn't care. Without another word, Sirius let the door go, stepping fully outside, and let the door slam shut in Harry's face.

For a moment, Harry could only stare at the cold, heavy door before him, in stunned disbelief, until the anger building within him suddenly rose. Lashing out with reckless abandon, Harry swung at the door in front of him, kicking and punching and pounding, his breathing becoming quick and uneven, and angry tears stinging his eyes. He had never been so furious in his life, and wanted so badly to get rid of the hateful feelings filling him…

Finally, however, feeling spent and weary, Harry turned his back to the door, leant up against it, and slid slowly to the floor. He was shaking from his outburst, and his hands were scraped and bleeding. Choking back against the misery howling to be let out, he tried to concentrate, looking for a way around this. He had to escape…he had to. If Adrik was only using Mel to get to him, he wouldn't think twice about taking her place…but he couldn't do anything while stuck inside the school.

At a loss for where to start, but knowing he couldn't just sit there, Harry forced himself to stay calm, and slowly pushed himself up from the floor. He walked quickly back up the hallway, and into the first room he came to. Moving immediately to the window, Harry raised a hand towards the early evening sky, and felt the tips of his fingers meet with the invisible barrier once more. Cursing under his breath, he left the room and continued on his way up the hall.

Deciding it was useless to try every window he came to, Harry made his way back up to his office, moving swiftly through the silent corridors. It was a weeknight, so not many students were out, and it was nearing time when they all needed to be in their dorms for the night anyway.

As Harry stepped into the dark office, he shivered, but didn't bother starting a fire. Instead, he crossed to the couch and lowered himself onto it, at a complete loss for ideas, when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," Harry called out flatly, assuming it would be Minerva coming to apologize…or explain her actions…two things he didn't care to hear right now. He was shocked however, to see Snape step into the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

"Minerva told me what happened to Mel," the potions master said quietly.

"Is that all she told you?" Harry asked stiffly, wondering if he also knew what Sirius had done to him. "Because I'm sure you'd see this as a perfect opportunity to rub my problems in my face so if it isn't too much to ask, can we skip that for now?"

"I didn't come here for that," Snape stated evenly.

"Then what do you want?" Harry asked curtly.

"Why do you think someone would want to take Mel?" Snape asked quickly.

"To get to me, I suppose," Harry said flatly. "If it was Adrik or Oren, that would probably be why…"

"Yes, everything is always about you, isn't it?" Snape said, rolling his eyes, continuing before Harry could say anything to that. "Has anyone ever explained the bloodlines to you?"

Harry paused for a moment. Saaneeraa had told him some about the bloodlines, though he hadn't really thought of it again up until right now.

"Yes," he nodded faintly. "I know a little bit…I know if I die…then Mel's child is the next Psion."

"But if someone else wants the powers, she must be killed as well," Snape added.

"I know," Harry said darkly. "They tried to kill her last year…but that still doesn't make any sense," he rushed on. "If they want control of the crystals, then someone with Faerunian blood has to kill me, if anyone else does it, the powers are dormant until the next Psion is born."

"That's right," Snape nodded.

"Well then what do they want?" Harry asked in exasperation. "If the Shadow Walkers killed me, the powers would've been dormant, so they must not be after them. But then why would they need Mel? Because if they kill her before the baby is born…the powers still won't belong to them…"

"True," Snape nodded. "The powers won't belong to the child until after it is breathing air on its own. And if you were to die from someone without Faerunian blood, and she were to die before giving birth…the powers would simply continue through the bloodlines, waiting for the next Psion to be born."

"So one way or the other, they don't gain control of them," Harry said quietly, before shaking his head in defeat. "I have no idea what they're after…"

Snape was silent for a long moment, until speaking up, very quietly.

"I imagine we'll find out soon enough. Just try to keep out of trouble for the time being," he said, before turning back towards the door, and pausing quickly. "And light a fire in here for Merlin's sake…" and with that, he went through the door.

Harry shook his head slowly, and sat back with a sigh, before a chill ran through him, and he forced himself back up. Snape was right; it was freezing in here. Moving towards the hearth, Harry pulled out the replacement wand and gave it a skeptical glance, before aiming it at the cold embers. To his relief, after the hole near the tip fizzled momentarily, it again worked as it was supposed to, and a warm, crackling blaze was now alight before him, causing the shadows splayed on the walls to dance.

Harry knelt down on the hardwood floor, watching the flames flickering in the hearth, and feeling a cold emptiness inside. Everything else that had happened meant nothing to him right now…not while he was forced to remain in the school…made a prisoner by the people he called friends…and unable to help the woman he loved. The only thing he could even concentrate on, was trying to figure out ways of escaping, though his options were virtually non-existent.

Glancing away from the flames, Harry let his eyes wander blankly over the office. He wondered if the spy were here now…watching him…maybe they'd report back to Voldemort that he was unable to leave… Harry let out a humorless laugh, thinking of how ironic that would be, but it frightened him to an extent as well. If something were to happen…he couldn't get out…

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt however as his eyes passed over the jar of floo powder. Would the barrier work in front of the fireplace? Or did Minerva already expect that, perhaps? Not that it mattered, he thought dismally. She was the only one who could open up floo channels within Hogwarts…it was too dangerous to leave them open all the time…

But then another thought crossed Harry's mind…a memory…and at last he found a glimmer of hope.

Dumbledore had opened a channel…directly to his office, and his office alone. And the protection had been a password, one Harry had chosen. Moontrimmer.

Jumping up eagerly, Harry hastily grabbed the jar from above the mantle and scooped a bit of it into his hand. Glancing from the powder, to the flames, and back again, he took a deep breath, and tossed it in.

The fire instantly burst into a dazzling green shade, and Harry smiled hesitantly. Only one thing left to do. Reaching out cautiously with his right hand, Harry stepped forward, expecting to feel the invisible barricade to halt his movement at any second.

The fact that Minerva had never known about this channel worked to his advantage, however, and seconds later, Harry had made it into the hearth, standing fully in the flames, and smiling with enormous relief. His problems were far from solved, but now he'd be able to do something about them. Calling out the password quickly, Harry was immediately whisked away into the swirling of colors, and for the first time in his life, he didn't mind the feeling.

As he stepped out of the hearth into Dumbledore's dim, empty office, Harry felt uneasiness begin to settle in. He hadn't exactly thought this far ahead…but he just couldn't stay at the school…not while Mel needed him.

Hoping he could remember the back route Draco had taken him through to get him out of the ministry last time, Harry started quietly for the door, squinting to see in the darkness but not daring to conjure a light. He barely made it two steps, however, when he realized there were people just outside the door, talking. Glancing around quickly, Harry ducked down behind the large desk only a few feet from where he stood, and held his breath.

Whoever the voices belonged to, Harry didn't recognize them, and to his relief, they didn't sound as if they were intending to enter the office, though he also got the impression, they weren't moving past either.

Thumping the back of his head softly against the desk, Harry let out an inaudible sigh, realizing with disdain that he was now stuck here, in this room, until the two men left. He hoped they had only run into each other in the hall, and would be moving along quickly…but as the minutes ticked by, Harry began to feel they were guards of some sort, probably stationed outside Dumbledore's office to prevent anyone from entering.

Letting his eyes wander around the office, Harry tried to occupy his mind with anything to keep his thoughts off of Mel for the time being…worrying about the situation wouldn't fix anything…

He saw the still-frozen paintings, looking shocked and confused, and could just make out the one that had hidden the burn mark. How would they prove that mark was intended for Oren…how would they even prove there was an Oren? Thurston had written a file for Ewan Norwood, and as of this moment, it didn't seem that anyone was disputing the fact.

This trial was going to be hard…no doubt about it. They had only found so much that could help them, when what they really needed was a confession. But how to get one? Thurston would never tell the truth, not in court at least. And even if someone was able to make him tell the truth elsewhere, he would only deny it later.

Harry felt a sudden rush of anger towards the manipulative minister…Travis and Simone had been innocent, and didn't deserve to die just so the power-hungry man could become head minister. And while Simone's death had been more due to the fact that she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time…he was sure Thurston didn't mind the fact that Travis had been caught in the crossfire as well. He'd hated Dumbledore's nephew, that much had been clear to Harry from the very first time he'd met Travis…he could even remember feeling a little mistrustful towards him at first as well, until Dumbledore explained who he was.

Harry smiled thinking of how curious Travis had been about everything and anything magical…again thinking back to that first day…but this time, he paused.

The item Travis had been fooling with…the one Thurston had yelled at him for touching…the vrid. He remembered researching it with Ginny now…it could record voices, near or far, whether you could hear them or not…it could.

If Sirius or Arthur had it with them next time they spoke with Thurston…and could somehow get him to slip up, they would have a solid, undisputable piece of evidence proving Dumbledore's innocence!

Harry pushed away from the desk slightly, moving around so he was on his knees, looking at the drawer that, if he remembered correctly, Dumbledore had placed the vrid in all those months ago. Pulling on it quietly, he discovered it was still locked. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he drew out the wand once more, but looked thoughtful for a long moment. The chances of getting Thurston to slip up…especially in front of Sirius or Arthur…were so slim they almost didn't exist, in Harry's opinion. Nevertheless, it couldn't hurt to try…and it might come in handy for something else, if not for this…

Glancing briefly up at the door, hearing the men still speaking with one another, Harry brought the wand up to the drawer, and whispered.

"Alohamora."

The tip of the wand fizzled, but a second later, he heard the lock spring open, and easily pulled the drawer out. He looked doubtfully at the wand, which was still sputtering and fizzling away, before placing it on the floor just beside him, and turning his attention to the drawer.

Expecting to have to rummage through the contents of the drawer, Harry was surprised and glad to see the vrid was exactly where he'd seen Dumbledore place it, not having been moved since that day. He scooped it up quickly, before sliding the door shut.

The small, dark, flat item was just as he remembered it, and Harry again thought back to the book he'd read with Ginny as he continued hearing the voices of the men in the hall. Deciding to test the recorder, he laid the small, paper-thin object against his left hand, before placing his right hand over it, and putting the smallest amount of pressure against it.

For a moment, the vrid simply softened, molding into the form of his palm, and Harry figured he was doing something wrong, when only seconds later, he realized he could see through it. The vrid sunk numbly through his skin, and Harry felt only the faintest tingling, until it was completely submerged.

Flexing his fingers and examining his palm, he felt no difference at all, and let a small grin cross his face, before he glanced up at the door again. He'd never used anything like this before, and from what he remembered in the book, the vrid recorded whatever you wanted it to…sort of a mental connection, and he wondered if he'd feel it working…or if he had to hold his hand a certain way…though he couldn't remember there being specific instructions such as that.

Before he could attempt to experiment, however, he heard a loud crackling from just beside him. Glancing down, Harry felt his breath catch in his throat…the wand hadn't died out this time…something wasn't working right…and it looked like it was about to explode.

Tendrils of gray smoke were pouring from the hole in the wand tip, and sparks were sputtering all around it as well…which, to Harry's immense alarm, only grew louder. He reached down at once, not sure what to do, however, knowing he couldn't just watch…but he pulled his hand back at once. The wand was scalding…it was like trying to touch red-hot metal, and Harry could see blisters instantly forming on his fingers.

The talk just outside the door had stopped now, and Harry once again ducked down behind the desk, just as the wand finally gave out…which it did with an intensely loud bang, leaving behind withering purple flames, and a rather large black scorch mark.

The door to the office flung open and Harry froze, cursing vehemently under his breath. He knew they couldn't see him yet, as he was hidden from view by the massive desk, but that wouldn't last long…and he had nothing left to use for defense.

All at once, the lights in the office came on, and Harry heard a stern voice.

"Who's in here? Show yourself!"

Considering his options, and realizing that there was no way to move without being seen, Harry slowly stood from behind the desk. If he ran, they more than likely would have stunned him anyway…

"What do you think you're doing in here?" the closer guard asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously at Harry.

"I apologize, it was a mistake on my part," Harry said quickly, deciding it was not a good idea to tell them the truth. "I was looking for Arthur Weasley."

"Arthur Weasley, ey?" the guard replied, disbelievingly. "Well you're not even on the correct floor…and that still doesn't explain how you got in here, or what you were doing…" he trailed off, his eyes shifting towards the scorched floor and back to Harry.

"I don't want to cause any trouble," Harry said quickly, feeling the anxiety twisting in his gut. "I'll just come back another time…" he trailed off, starting to step forward.

"No you don't," the second guard said, moving to block Harry's path. The first guard came up beside him, roughly taking hold of his arm. "We have direct orders from Mr. Thurston…anything or anyone suspicious near this office, and we're to bring them to him immediately.

"That's really not necessary," Harry said quickly, trying to pull away while forcing his voice to remain calm, but the second guard immediately took his other arm. Despite the sinking feeling in his gut, he didn't fight after that, knowing it would only make things worse at this point, and went with them as they led him out of the office, and through the silent halls.

Harry expected them to go to Thurston's office, which he knew was on the same floor as Albus', but instead, they brought him to the floo grates. Pushing him forward, the two guards stepped in, signaled through the number two, and seconds later they were pulling him back out again on the second floor.

"I'll get Mr. Thurston," the second guard spoke then, releasing Harry's arm as they came to a split in the corridor and veering off to the left. The first guard only nodded, tightening his grip as if he expected Harry to make a break for it or something, and pulled him further up the hall, until they came to a set of double doors.

They descended a narrow, dark stairway, to an area Harry never knew existed in the ministry, passing by the doorway that would lead to the lobby, and continuing on to a sub-level of the large building.

Harry looked around tensely, realizing it looked like a jail or even a dungeon. There were two rows of cells and heavy chains ending in manacles on the walls, but the guard forced him past all of that, and down another long corridor, to a dead end, with two doors on either side.

The guard opened the door on the left, and pushed Harry forward into the pitch-blackness. He stumbled into what felt like a very large chair, before a candle was lit, and the room came into dim view.

There was a small wooden table, and several chairs around it, but the chair he'd caught hold of was different, there were restraints attached to it. Harry started to step away quickly, when the guard pushed him back towards it. Harry spun around, to see a wand pointed straight at his chest.

"Sit down, Mr. Thurston will be here in a moment."

Having no other choice, Harry reluctantly lowered himself into the heavy chair, and the guard immediately crossed to his side. He grabbed Harry's right arm, and slipped his wrist through the restraint before tightening it sharply, and crossing to his other side.

"Is this really necessary?" Harry asked, trying to conceal his dread over the situation, inhaling sharply as the guard tugged harshly on the second restraint and moved to his ankles.

"You're not that hard to recognize, you know," the guard said, smirking up at Harry as he finished securing his legs to the chair. "And you were trespassing in the head minister's office, which was also the scene of a murder not that long ago…Mr. Thurston was very explicit on what to do if you or your friends were ever found there. You're under arrest, Mr. Potter."

Harry stared at him in stunned disbelief, before quickly regaining his voice.

"If I'm under arrest, than what are we doing here?" he asked, forcing calmness into his tone. "I know what my rights are…"

"You're here to answer a few questions," Thurston's voice spoke up then. Harry's gaze shifted immediately to the door, to see the tall, thin minister smiling maliciously back at him.

"I'm not going to answer anything for you," Harry stated evenly, glaring up at the older man.

"Yes, I assumed that would be your response," Thurston said casually, stepping into the office. The second guard followed closely behind, as did two more people whom Harry couldn't see clearly as the robes they were wearing hid their faces.

Thurston glanced at the second guard and nodded faintly, and Harry could only watch uneasily, as the large man started towards him. The guard raised his right hand as he reached the chair, and Harry saw a vile filled with clear liquid as the man pulled out the cork. Feeling a sudden rush of panic, Harry tried hopelessly to turn away as the man thrust the small bottle towards him, but the other guard forced his head to face forward, and painfully wrenched his jaw open, seconds before what Harry knew had to be Veritaserum was poured down his throat.

He began choking at once, but the guard holding him in place forced his mouth shut, keeping his hand there until the fit subsided, and Harry had swallowed every last drop.

Breathing heavily, Harry looked warily up at Thurston, a hateful gleam in his eyes, while the older man only smiled back at him, looking quite pleased.

"You know," Thurston began, a sickening cheerfulness in his tone, as he pulled one of the closer chairs over near Harry and sat down in it, facing him. "You and I have never really had a good, long talk, Harry. I've been meaning to change that for a long time, as well, so I'll start by thanking you for coming this evening, it makes things much easier for me."

Harry only glared back at him, remaining silent, since he realized there was little chance of him keeping his mouth shut for the rest of this discussion. He doubted that pointing out to Thurston how very illegal doing this to him was, would actually help matters any, and could only hope they asked the wrong questions.

"So tell me, Mr. Potter," Thurston began pleasantly. "How did you manage to get into the head minister's office, without the guards noticing?"

"Albus opened a floo channel connecting his office to mine at Hogwart's several months ago," Harry said stiffly, for the first time in his life wishing someone would just gag him as the words poured out against his will.

"Really?" Thurston said, his eyes gleaming with interest. "Wouldn't that be unsafe?" he asked, tauntingly. "Anyone who found out could use it to get into the school. Was there any protection against that?"

"A password," Harry replied.

"And what is this password?"

"Moontrimmer."

"Of course it is," Thurston replied, smiling in wicked amusement. "Now, on to the more important questions. "Why did you come tonight?"

Having no control over his words at all, Harry started talking, telling Thurston what he knew about Mel's kidnap and then being trapped in the school, with the floo channel as his only means of escape.

"How touching," Thurston replied mockingly. "Risking your life to save the woman you love. Too bad you did it all in vain…"

Something about the way Thurston had said it made Harry's stomach twist sickeningly, as he glared intently at the old minister.

"Do you know something about it?" he asked icily. "Where is she?"

"I might now something, yes," Thurston grinned. "But it's not for me to decide what you should be told…there'll be time for that later. For now, I have a few more questions…"

Thurston proceeded to ask Harry what he knew of the evidence Arthur, Sirius and Marzia were collecting to use in Dumbledore's defense. Unable to stop himself, Harry told him everything he knew, including that they suspected it had been the Orb to kill Travis, but that it was meant for Albus.

"We know you're behind it all as well," Harry stated crisply at the end. "We know Ewan Norwood is really Oren Alcott…and that you did something for he and several other death eaters, so that they helped you get Dumbledore out of office."

"Interesting," Thurston replied, noncommittally, a hint of nervousness in his tone. "And how would you know that?"

"Oren told me," Harry replied evenly, and a relieved smile passed over Thurston's face.

"Well than you have no proof, do you?" he laughed.

"So it's true then," Harry stated, accusingly. "What did you do for them?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Thurston replied, tauntingly. "It doesn't matter though…even with all you do know, you won't be able to stop them. Adrik Lestrange is too smart for you…and your friends."

"Does it have anything to do with Hadley Thurnes?" Harry asked quickly, not wanting to give up. "Hers was the file you were after at the beginning of the year, I remember…what did you want with it?"

Thurston shrugged almost casually before replying.

"Adrik had mentioned her name several times…I got the impression they wanted her out of the way…I was simply curious to learn more about her, as it's not quite common for such powerful men to want a child dead…but you did a fine job of ruining that for me…"

"They still want her dead?" Harry asked, feeling sudden worry for Hadley's safety. Why would Adrik have let him save her if that was true? Why hadn't they tried again?

"Yes, you ruined that too, didn't you?" Thurston chuckled. "Don't worry, she'll be taken care of soon enough."

"How can you let that happen?" Harry exclaimed angrily, suddenly fighting against the restraints. "She's just a child!"

"I'm not the one who wants her dead," Thurston replied as pleasantly as if he were talking about the weather. "You can ask Adrik, when he arrives."

Harry only glared back at him, hatefully, powerless to do anything at the moment.

Thurston stood from his seat then, and looked to the two men in the hooded robes.

"Take him back up to my office," he said quickly. "I don't want to leave him down here, I'd rather keep him where I can see him. Adrik and Oren should be here to collect him shortly."

Harry watched as the men nodded, before crossing to where he sat, and loosening the restraints. As they pulled him out of the chair, Harry felt a sudden wave of fatigue, and his knees nearly buckled beneath him, though he struggled to keep his footing, and prayed that Thurston hadn't noticed. If he asked Harry anything about it…Harry would be unable to stop himself from telling Thurston about the vrid. He had been concentrating throughout the entire conversation on recording everything that had been said, and the energy it took to do so was leaving him ready to collapse. Not that it mattered at the moment, however, as he didn't know how he could show the recording to anyone given the current circumstances.

Thurston seemed to be paying little attention to him at the moment, however, busy speaking with the first two guards, in hushed tones.

Harry barely caught a glimpse of the taller man nearest him drawing a pair of gold manacles from his robes, before he was forced around, and he felt the cold metal clamped over his wrists.

As he was pushed roughly out into the hallway, and the men took hold of his arms, half dragging him along as he stumbled between them, Harry thought dismally that he was completely out of options. He was without a wand, without the crystals, and all of his friends assumed he was safe at Hogwarts as of this moment. No one knew of his real location, or that Adrik and Oren were coming for him. He wondered if they would try to give him to the cult again…and prayed fervently that Troy would get to them first.

The long corridor finally gave way to the opening that revealed all of the cells Harry had seen before, and the moment they'd completely cleared the hallway, he felt the man on his left suddenly release his arm.

Looking to his side, curiously, Harry felt a stab of fear as the man drew his wand from the dark robes he wore, but he didn't aim at Harry, instead he turned back to the hallway entrance, which Thurston and the guards had nearly reached the end of, and conjured a barrier, trapping them within.

Harry looked on, entirely confused, as the man didn't hesitate, before spinning to face him. He raised the wand and Harry closed his eyes, but the shot didn't hit him, the stunning spell flew past, and into the second man, who had just managed to pull out his wand when the curse hit him.

Having nothing to support him any more, Harry's knees finally buckled, and he fell awkwardly to the stone floor. He could hear the angry cries of Thurston and the other guards, and was dimly aware of their attempts at escaping the barrier, but paid little attention as the man in the black cloak knelt down beside him, and helped him into a sitting position.

"Harry, what's wrong?" came a familiar voice…sounding uncharacteristically worried for the question he was asking.

"Draco?" Harry asked quietly, smiling with relief. "Can you get me out of these?" he rushed on, nodding over his shoulder at the handcuffs and realizing there most likely wasn't much time.

Draco quickly leant over, lifting Harry's wrists and raising his wand, and in the next second, he was free.

Wasting no time, Harry immediately brought his hands together in front of him, ignoring the insane look Draco was giving him, and concentrating. If he didn't get the vrid out now…his energy would be entirely spent, and the last thing he wanted at this moment, was to lose consciousness.

It didn't take long, however; within seconds, Harry was holding the vrid in the palm of his hand, and his strength came rushing back to him. An enraged cry from the opposite side of the barrier brought his eyes up though, to find Thurston staring furiously back at him. He had seen the vrid…and obviously recognized it.

"Come on!" Malfoy hissed anxiously, grabbing Harry's arm and dragging him to his feet. Harry quickly slid the tiny object into his pocket, before turning and making a break for the door on the opposite end of the room, Draco right at his side. The two of them raced up the stairs to the lobby doors, and made a mad dash across the enormous room to the front entrance. Once glance at the floo grates told them they'd been shut down for the evening, so there was no chance of using them to get away. Instead, they darted out into the chilly night air, and paused for just a moment to catch their breath.

"The barrier won't hold long," Draco said quickly. "We need to get out of here now."

"I don't have any wand," Harry shrugged helplessly. "I can't apparate."

"There's a floo station not far from here…" Draco began.

"We can take that to Ron and Hermione's!" Harry cried suddenly, and without another word, they were off again, through the well-lit streets of the city, as fast as they could run.

They barely made it to the floo station just over fifteen minutes later, as the attendant was closing the door, and pleaded with him for another five minutes to allow them access to a grate. Harry had no money on him, so Draco stiffly shelled out the toll for both, along with the extra galleon the guard was asking for the favor.

After the brief journey through the swirling colors, Harry's feet connected again with hard ground, and he lurched forward out of the hearth in his friends' apartment. Draco was just behind him, and stepped out only seconds later.

"Harry!" Hermione cried, having been in the room already as he arrived. She ran up to the two wizards, her face as white as a sheet, before she threw her arms around him in relief. "Oh Harry, what did you do?" she asked, gloomily.

"What did I…? What do you mean, Hermione?" Harry asked, confused.

"Sirius told Ron and I you agreed to stay at the school…" she began.

"Agreed?" Harry asked darkly. "No, that definitely wasn't…"

"How did you get into the ministry? Why would you go there?" Hermione rushed on.

Harry stared at her, his eyes narrowing in puzzlement.

"How did you know I…?" he trailed off as she took hold of his arm, and led him across the room. Draco followed quietly, and the three came to a stop near the object Harry had originally thought to be a television. It was playing wizarding news, just as McGonagall's had been, but the coverage of the attack in Diagon Alley was no longer even showing. Instead, all four corners of the screen had either someone talking about him, or a picture of his face.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, feeling an overwhelming wave of dread slowly washing over him.

"They're saying you did it," Hermione said, miserably. "That you killed Travis and Simone…and attacked Dumbledore."

"What?" Harry cried, feeling a sudden stab of panic. "How? I never even…"

"They claim to have found your wand at the scene of the crime…and that there's a secret floo channel connecting your office to Dumbledore's, which you used to sneak in. They said they caught you there earlier tonight, trying to tamper with evidence…they're even making up stories about you getting into fights with Travis, and having arguments with Dumbledore…"

"But…that…they can't…" Harry stammered, his head filling with questions too fast for him to voice any of them. "I wasn't even there on the night of the attack!" Harry cried finally. "It was the night of Sirius and Marzia's wedding…everyone there saw me!"

"But you left early," Hermione said quietly. "And if everyone there was asked, that would be their honest answer. Both you and Mel left early."

"But we didn't leave the camp grounds…" Harry said weakly, knowing that fact did him little good at the moment. The only one who could confirm it was Mel, and he didn't even know where she was.

"If they're accusing Harry," Draco spoke up suddenly. "Then what are they planning to do with Dumbledore? Obviously this would prove his innocence, and his story of what actually happened that night will count for a lot more when it's not being heard as an alibi…"

"Thurston would never let him take the stand on that," Hermione said grimly. "Which means Dumbledore's in danger. Thurston will want to make sure something happens to him, to stop the truth from coming out…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "But I can't figure out…why would he bother changing the story like this in the first place?" she asked, looking up to meet Harry's eyes. "Why is he suddenly blaming it on you?"

"Probably because of this," Harry replied quietly, slipping his hand in his pocket and drawing out the vrid. "He didn't come straight out and confess anything, but he didn't deny working with Adrik and Oren…and he knows I recorded him…"

Hermione looked down at the vrid solemnly, before speaking resolutely.

"Then that's our only defense against this. We have to make sure we get it somewhere safe…because if they get a hold of it, we're back to nothing…"

"I don't really think it matters at this point," Draco said calmly, and the other two immediately turned to look at him. "Think about it…Thurston is throwing evidence against Harry together too quickly…it would never hold up in court. He's not planning on taking this to trial…he's doing it so that the entire wizarding world believes Harry to be a criminal as of right now…and he's depending on them to help catch him again.""You're right," Hermione said faintly. "He'll make sure something happens to Harry and to Dumbledore…"

"Accidents are all too common in prison," Draco said darkly.

"You have to hide, Harry," Hermione said suddenly. "There'll be people out looking for you…ministry guards…and let's face it you have one of the most recognizable faces in the wizarding world, anyone on the streets that sees you…"

"Alright, I see what you mean," Harry cut her off, not wanting to think about it. "But I can't just hide…not with everything else going on…and besides, where would I go? Thurston knows I work at the school…and they have my home address on file…"

"You can't stay here either," Hermione said worriedly, obviously fearing for his safety. "Thurston knows we're friends…and our address is listed as well."

"No, you're right," Harry nodded grimly, feeling only cold dread in his gut. But he shook the feeling away, and looked Hermione evenly. "I'll go now, I don't want them barging in here on you…but before I do anything, I have to get to the school…they're planning on going for Hadley again, and no one knows she's in danger."

"Harry, you can't," Hermione said worriedly. "I'll call Minerva…or I'll go myself…"

"Yeah it isn't a good idea for you to be there right now," Draco spoke up then. "They'd know as soon as you got there."

"Who would?" Harry asked, uneasily.

"Who do you think?" Draco replied sardonically. "Adrik, Lilith and Oren. They've had spies there all year…"

"Do you know who they are?" Harry asked immediately. "And how long have you known about this?"

"I only just found out, right before I saw you at the ministry."

"Who told you?" Hermione asked.

"The unconscious guard whose robes I'm wearing right now," Draco smirked. "Thurston has two that he trusts more than any of the others…and as he hasn't exactly trusted me since my unexpected visit to Nabakza," he paused looking pointedly at Harry, "I've gotten to know one of them relatively well."

"And he just told you what you wanted to know?" Harry asked, skeptically.

"Not sober, no," Draco grinned. "But in his defense, he didn't know he'd be getting drunk this evening, as I'm sure he'd never knowingly do in my presence."

"What did he tell you?" Hermione asked, anxiously.

"I asked him about what Thurston did for Adrik and Oren," Draco began quickly. "But even drugged, the stupid git was good at keeping secrets, so he wouldn't tell me everything. What I did manage to get from him, was that Thurston made it possible for the death eaters to get three spies into the school. He had to do a lot of sneaking around over the summer, but McGonagall was so busy and stressed with the new responsibilities and not exactly a lot of time, that she didn't catch on to what he was doing."

"Did he say who any of the spies are?" Harry asked.

"No, just that we'll never figure it out," Draco said flatly. "He passed out sooner than I thought though…hope I didn't give him too much…" he trailed off shrugging. "Then when I heard you were there," he continued, looking to Harry, "I threw his robes over mine, and met up with Thurston.

Hermione sighed in exasperation, and shook her head slowly.

"Well, at least we know now that there's more than one spy," Draco pointed out.

"I have to get there," Harry said, with sudden urgency.

"Harry, you can't-" Hermione began, but Harry wasn't paying attention. He'd already started for the hearth, when a sudden thought struck him, and he turned.

"Where's Ron?" he asked quickly. "Shouldn't he be home by now?"

"He went with Sirius and Arthur to look for Mel," Hermione replied at once. "I agreed to wait here, and Marzia is back at your house, in case any news comes in, or in case somehow Mel is able to contact one of us."

"Well then that means no one's around at the school to help, and Minerva as of this moment doesn't know Hadley's in danger…I have to get there now, Hermione."

"No, Harry," Hermione said sternly, her eyes flashing.

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked quickly. "Lock me in your apartment like Sirius and Minerva tried to do at the school? That'll be great for when the ministry guards stop by…"

"They did what?" Hermione asked, a look of shock washing over her face.

"Put a barrier around the school so I couldn't get out," Harry said darkly. "But they didn't know about the floo channel open to Dumbledore's office…so I got out."

"Which didn't help matters any," Hermione said evenly, though she still looked upset about what had been done to him.

Harry paused for a moment, nodding. He knew he'd made a bigger mess of things…and that his going back to the school might only make it worse…

"Hermione," he began quietly, a strange sense of calm coming over him, as he looked straight into her deep brown eyes. "If something happens to her…if they hurt Mel in any way…I will never forgive myself. I need you to understand that…I don't care what happens to me…I'd die for her, and nothing you or Sirius or anyone else does, is going to stop me from trying to find her. Now I'm going back to the school, I'm going to make sure Hadley is safe, and then I'm going to look for Mel…you can do whatever you like."

Hermione stared back at him for a long moment, and Harry could see tears forming in her eyes, but she blinked them back and nodded.

"I'm coming with you then, to make sure you get there alright…"

"You don't have to do that, it'll only mean…"

"Harry, don't argue with me," Hermione interrupted curtly. "You don't have a wand and there's a warrant out for your arrest, I'm coming."

"So am I," Draco spoke up quietly, and Harry looked at him with surprise. "I don't think Thurston will be welcoming me back to the ministry anytime soon," Draco stated sardonically. "And I don't fancy the idea of sitting around waiting for him to find me either."

"Oh good," Harry joked, "as long as we're clear on why you're doing this," but he could see Draco was acting out of more than just his own self interest this time, he didn't have to risk his neck to save Harry before, but he did.

They gathered near the hearth, and Hermione threw in a pinch of powder, before they all stepped in, and took the grate down to the ground floor. Walking quickly through the foyer, Harry reached the door first, and opened it onto the silent streets of residential Hogsmeade.

It looked just as peaceful and calm as any other night. The weather was chilly, but relatively nice, and windows were alight here and there across the buildings, indicating the families living there were home and spending time together before bed. It was a weeknight, so not very many people were out and about, which is why a group of three men coming up to them from Harry's left, immediately caught his eye.

They were still a good ways down the street, but something about their walk…their robes…felt out of place. Hermione and Malfoy noticed them too.

"Quick, this way," Hermione whispered hastily, motioning for both Harry and Draco to follow her to their right. The three made their way hurriedly up the sidewalk, and Harry kept glancing back to see if the men would follow. He felt a chill run down his spine as he watched them stop at the steps that led to the building Hermione lived in, realizing how close they'd been.

As he turned back around however, his friends both next to him on his right, he was startled to see someone step out in front of him just as they reached the corner.

Harry barely had time to recognize the small form of Mr. Steckler, the shop owner he'd met while with Ron on Halloween, the one who refused to take his money, before the scraggly old man grabbed him by the arm, a vicious sneer on his face.

"He's over here!" the man yelled out at once, screaming up the street to the men about to enter Hermione's apartment building. "Harry Potter is right here!"

Harry's jaw dropped in shock, and for a split-second, he was too stunned to react as the three men looked quickly towards the sound of Steckler's voice. It was only when Draco reached out and pushed the old man off of Harry that he finally snapped to the present.

"Run, just run!" Hermione cried fearfully, as the three took off, chased by the swiftly moving footsteps of the three men, and the old shop owner's hysterical laughter.

Racing through the streets of Hogsmeade, trying to make it to the shops, the three stayed close together, taking streets and alleys they weren't familiar with, but not caring, in an attempt to lose their pursuers.

As they neared the corner of one street however, one of the men suddenly jumped out in front of them, having gone around to cut them off.

"This way!" Draco shouted, ducking into the alley on their left. Harry and Hermione raced after him, only to slow to a halt several seconds later as they came to a dead end. The two buildings, which were on either side of the alley, apparently connected near the back, so the small group couldn't even, climb over the obstacle.

Spinning around, Hermione and Draco both drew their wands, and they waited, only the sound of their breathing echoing back through the passage at them.

Not even half a second passed, before a flash of light came barreling down the alley, moving straight for Harry. He instinctively dropped to the ground, and the curse passed over his head by mere inches, before splattering harmlessly against the wall behind him.

"Where is he?" Hermione cried out, her eyes narrowed as she searched the blackness in front of her. "I can't see him!"

"Well obviously he can see us," Draco replied grimly.

"I'll make a light then…"

"Are you mad!" Draco hissed at her. "You want to give him a clearer target?"

"Then how do we-" she began, cutting off abruptly as another flash of light sped down the alley, this time coming from a much closer location, and moving straight at her. Harry watched as if in slow motion, trying to scramble to his feet as it didn't look as though she could get out of the way in time, when Draco lunged forward, knocking both he and Hermione to the hard ground, but successfully evading the curse.

"Enough of this," Draco said irately, jumping to his feet without wasting another second and raising his wand. "Magnus incendia!" he stated fiercely, and in an instant, an enormous burst of flames issued forth from the tip of his wand, taking up the entire width of the alley as it rushed mercilessly towards the street. Harry and Hermione got slowly to their feet, exchanging wary glances, before coming up beside the fair-haired wizard.

For several moments after the flames died out, no one spoke, and they waited tensely…but no further attack came. Starting forward slowly, Harry began moving silently back up the alley, and Hermione at last lit a light at the tip of her wand so they could see clearly. They made it less than ten feet, before coming to a charred, smoking corpse lying face down on the hard cobblestones of the alley.

"He was closer than I thought," Draco stated flatly.

"You killed him," Hermione said, faint shock in her tone.

"Would you rather he have killed us?" Draco shot back, defensively.

Harry made no comment, however, and stooped down beside the dead body, before reaching forward, and plucking the blackened wand from the man's grasp.

"Good idea," Draco smirked, seeing what Harry was doing.

"Stunning spells, Malfoy," Harry replied flatly, looking disgustedly at the wand before slipping it into his pocket, turning and continuing up the alley. "Try not to kill anyone else…"

Continuing on quickly, trying to reach the shops of Hogsmeade, Harry, Hermione and Draco crept back to the corner of the street. There were lights coming on in more windows now, people wanting to see what all the commotion in the alley had been about, so they left the street as quickly as possible.

"Stop!" Hermione hissed suddenly, grabbing both wizards by the sleeve and pulling them to a halt. The three ducked down behind the nearest stairway, and Hermione pointed towards the end of the road.

The two men were passing by, each moving in the opposite direction, seeming to be guarding the only way out of the housing area.

"Splendid," Draco remarked sardonically. "What now?"

"Let's just stun them," Harry said quickly, drawing the wand out of his pocket. "There are only two of…" he trailed off slowly, feeling his heart sink. Six more men, all wearing ministry robes apparated into the clearing, and the two men already there rushed to meet them immediately. "Nevermind," Harry said in defeat, lowering the wand. "Any ideas?" he asked, looking back to the others.

"We could disapparate," Draco suggested.

"But we can't get into Hogwarts that way," Harry replied.

"Just to the shops," Draco shot back.

"But if there are more men there, we won't see them until it's too late," Harry said quietly.

"Then I have no idea," Draco shrugged, shaking his head slowly, but Hermione's expression was etched with concentration.

"Draco…how much do you really want to help us?" she asked slowly.

"I can already tell I'm not going to want to do this," Draco replied stiffly.

"I'm not saying we have to do this," Hermione stated quickly. "If one of you has a better idea, I'm definitely up for hearing it…"

Harry and Draco exchanged brief glances, before turning their eyes again on Hermione.

"Alright out with it," Draco said stiffly. "What's your brilliant plan?"

"Well, it would sort of be like you two switching places…we don't have any Polyjuice Potion, so it won't be exact, obviously, but I can temporarily change the color of both your hair. If you don't get too close, it'll be enough to confuse the guards…and Harry can get passed them…"

"And while he's getting passed the guards, what am I doing exactly?" Draco asked, skeptically.

"Leading them elsewhere," Hermione stated evenly. "You have to get them to follow you."

Draco looked at Hermione for half a second, his eyes betraying how clearly insane he considered that idea to be.

"It's alright," Harry said to him quickly. "I won't ask you to do it, we'll find another way."

"No, she's got a point," Draco said, reluctantly. "We'll never get passed all of those guards…not together anyway." A look of resolve crossed his face and he raised his eyes to Hermione's. "Alright, just do it…quick…before I change my mind…"

"Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Look Granger, do you want them to catch us all?" Draco asked curtly. "Hurry up!"

Hermione nodded once, before raising her wand at Draco, and a few seconds later, at Harry. A moment later, Malfoy's hair had gone from pale, to jet-black, while Harry's had done the opposite. And Hermione raised her wand again.

"If you're conjuring a mirror, then don't," Draco said quickly. "Because I'd really rather not see this."

Hermione only gave him a withering look, before continuing with what she was doing, forming a pair of black, round glasses in the air, and handing them to Draco.

"If they do get a good look, this will at least help the disguise," she said flatly.

"You don't miss a thing, do you?" Draco said sardonically, slipping the glasses over the bridge of his nose, and slowly rising to his feet.

"Be careful," Harry said quietly, as Draco stepped past him.

"Just make sure you get to the school Potter, because I swear if I'm doing this for nothing…"

"I'll get there," Harry said, exuding much more confidence than he truly felt, and watched tensely as Draco crept along the sides of the houses, nearing the group of guards. There were only the six now, and Harry wondered where the other two had gone, but didn't think on it long as Draco finally reached the end of the street, and stepped into view.

As expected, it took only seconds for one of the guards to see him, but he'd already set off at a run before they could begin to follow. The guards set off after him, half directly following and half running in the opposite direction, most likely to cut him off. Harry watched worriedly, praying Draco was able to get away, before he felt Hermione's hand on his arm.

"Let's go," she whispered, and he rose to his feet alongside her. The two moved silently up the remainder of the street, before finally crossing over into the shopping area of Hogsmeade.

"I suppose we could use the passage through the Shrieking Shack…" Hermione began, when suddenly a curse flew past between them, narrowly missing them as it sped by. Setting off again, Harry glimpsed the two men he had seen at first having been waiting for them to enter the town, before shifting his gaze forward, and concentrating on getting away. When they reached the nearest shop, Hermione swung around behind the corner, and immediately began shooting stunning spells. Harry skidded around to a halt as well, and began to do the same, when she turned to face him.

"I guess they got a good look at me," Harry said dismally, wishing he'd seen wherever they'd been hiding.

"Just go Harry, I'll keep them busy."

"Not a chance," Harry replied evenly, firing another spell that missed by half an inch. The men had taken shelter behind a shop across the street.

"And what happens if we're both caught?" Hermione asked fiercely. "You can't help Hadley in jail…and you can't help Mel either."

"Hermione…" Harry began, but feeling her words in his gut. She was right, he had to get to the school…and he had to find Mel. "Please, please be careful," he said fiercely.

"I'll be fine," she nodded, attempting a half smile, before turning her full attention back across the street. Harry stepped back, feeling torn and numb, watching her for just a second more, and finally turned away, moving further down the alley. He came to the back of the shop and went right, knowing the men would see him if he went the opposite direction.

Running by the empty, closed shops, the sounds of the fight behind him grew fainter with each step…and Harry finally found the backdoor he'd been looking for. Honeydukes.

Raising the wand, he quickly unlocked the entrance, and slipped silently inside. He hadn't used this passage in a long while, but remembered it perfectly, moving behind the counter and immediately made his way downstairs, taking care not to make too much noise. He found the trapdoor easily, wrenched it upwards with a showering of dust, and slipped down into the darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

A short while later, Harry finally reached the other end of the passage, and stepped silently out from behind the statue of the one-eyed witch, just near the Gryffindor tower. Once in the light again, he could see the ends of his hair hanging in front of his eyes, it was back to normal again. He glanced around nervously, not having any idea what to expect, but was relieved to find the hallway entirely deserted.

Moving as quickly as possible, Harry started down the corridor, intending on going directly to Minerva. He made it to the stairway and quickly went up the steps; finally reaching the floor which McGonagall was on, only to run straight into two men in ministry robes. Inhaling sharply, Harry ducked back into the stairway as they both raised their wands, and he felt the wind as the curses flew past him.

Readying his own wand, Harry fired a stunning charm directly at the first man through the door, who proceeded to fall limply backwards on top of the second man, giving Harry time to stun him as well.

As he stepped over the unmoving bodies, however, he heard a voice from behind him, and had only just begun to turn around, when he felt something hard slam into his gut. Harry sprawled backwards, his head connecting painfully with the stone railing surrounding the stairway platform, but could do nothing to ease the pain as his legs immediately clamped together, and his arms went stiff at his sides.

The guard who had shot him moved steadily up the rest of the stairs, coming to a halt at Harry's side and glaring down at him.

"Well wasn't that easy…time to go to jail, murderer," the man stated icily, proceeding to lift his wand again. Harry couldn't so much as utter a sound, and watched fearfully as the wand was aimed at his chest, presumably to levitate him from the floor, when suddenly a large shadow splayed across the wall, and the guard's expression went abruptly slack. Harry saw the man's eyes roll up in his head, and could do nothing to get out of the way, as the guard collapsed forward, landing on top of him.

It was only half a second before the weight was lifted, however, and Harry would have laughed with relief, as he saw Hagrid come into view.

"Yeh alrigh' there 'arry?" Hagrid asked, concernedly, waiting for a moment as if he expected Harry to answer, before realization finally dawned on his features, and he reached down for the nearest wand that had been dropped. After fiddling with it for half a minute, Hagrid finally managed to partially release Harry from the body-bind, but just enough so that Harry could do the rest.

"Thank you Hagrid," he said gratefully, scrambling to his feet beside the larger man. "Where's Minerva?"

"In 'er office with the others," Hagrid replied, "I was jes goin' there m'self when I saw this oaf attack yeh," he said, glaring down at the unconscious guard. "They ain't s'posed teh do it tha' way."

"What way?" Harry asked as the two removed the guards from the stairs, laying them just inside the doorway that led to the hall and starting for the head office. "And what others…is Sirius back?" Harry asked eagerly, wondering if there was any word on Mel.

"Pr'fssor McGonagall will explain it teh yeh," Hagrid said quietly, as they had reached the stone statue.

Harry looked at him, confused, but as the gargoyle slid aside, he quickly made his way upstairs.

Stepping into the office, Harry saw not only McGonagall, but Sirius, Ron and Snape as well.

"You left," Sirius said at once, the moment he spotted Harry.

"You didn't give me much choice," Harry shot back, feeling fresh anger beginning to simmer in his gut.

Sirius shook his head, and crossed slowly to his godson, no one else speaking a word as they watched.

"It was for your own good, Harry…"

"No Sirius, it was because you were scared," Harry said crisply, and rushing on. "Well I am too, alright? But I'm not going to let that stop me from doing what I have to…no matter what you may think is best for me."

"Harry…" Sirius began.

"Did you find anything out about Mel?" Harry interrupted quickly. "Do we know where she is?"

"No," Ron answered for him, quietly. "Whoever took her didn't leave any trace of where they went…but my dad is still out with several other ministers, looking."

"We came here as soon as we heard the news," Sirius added, darkly. "Seems you took a trip to the ministry this evening."

"It was my only way out," Harry said evenly.

"Well your only way out now has you accused of murder and nearly half the wizarding world looking for you…Thurston has guards in the school, on the streets…and did you know there's a reward?"

"What?" Harry asked, shocked. "For what, exactly?"

"For bringing you in," Sirius replied dismally. "Care to tell us how you ended up on the run?"

"We have to check on Hadley first," Harry said at once, remembering his whole reason for coming here. "Adrik wants her dead…"

"Why?" Snape asked then, his eyes narrowing.

"I don't know," Harry said quietly. "But she isn't safe…"

"Hagrid," Minerva spoke up at once, "Will you please go down to the Slytherin dorm and bring Miss Thurnes up here immediately?"

"Yes, o'course pr'fssor," Hagrid nodded quickly, before quietly exiting the office.

"Mr. Potter," Minerva went on then, "Please explain…why did I have to allow guards into my school for murders which we know you did not commit?"

Harry wasted no time, and as quickly as possible, told them everything. Everything that happened from the moment he'd left the school until the moment he'd entered this office. The vrid, the talk with Thurston, escaping with Draco, meeting with Hermione and how he was separated from both of them before arriving here and making it to the office.

"I'm sorry Ron," Harry said immediately when he'd finished, seeing his friend had gone pale after he'd told of where he left Hermione. "I didn't want to leave her…"

Ron nodded faintly, but didn't look comforted in the least.

"It was only two of them…right?" he asked quietly. "You're positive it was only two?"

"That's right," Harry nodded. "Only two."

"She'll be fine," Ron nodded weakly, sounding as if he were trying to convince himself of this fact, and looking down at the floor. Harry wished he could say something more to help his friend feel better…but he had doubts, himself…

"What about the vrid?" Sirius spoke up then. "Do you still have it?"

"Right here," Harry replied, sliding the tiny object out of his pocket and holding it up. "Though I have no idea how to get it to someone that will be able to help," he said, letting Sirius examine it before taking it back, and slipping it again into his pocket.

"Well at least we have proof…we'll get both your and Dumbledore's names cleared in no time," Sirius stated evenly. "We'll also need to get someone to Nabakza soon. Thurston will more than likely want Dumbledore out of the way, and I doubt he'll wait long to do it."

"So what do we do first?" Ron asked.

"We also have to find a safe place for you, Harry, it's dangerous for you to stay at the school," Minerva said quickly, looking at him, regretfully. "There are too many people here looking you…and while we'll do whatever it takes to keep them from you…I can't refuse them entry."

"But he didn't do anything," Sirius said quickly.

"He is accused of murder, Sirius. If we try to refuse the entry of the ministry guards, we will only be asking for worse. They will force their way in if they believe we're hiding Harry, and there will be quite a few more than there are now."

Sirius opened his mouth to argue, but Harry spoke up first.

"It's alright Sirius…I wasn't planning on staying anyway. I have to look for Mel…I just wanted to make sure Hadley was kept safe…" he trailed off, glancing towards the clock, surprised to see almost an hour had passed since he arrived.

"Does anyone else feel Mr. Hagrid has been gone for far too long?" Snape asked then, his voice grim and even.

"Something's happened," Harry said with dreaded certainty. "We have to get down there!"

"No, you wait here," Sirius said, immediately, receiving a look of utter exasperation from his godson, but before Harry could argue, he rushed on. "It will be much harder to help Hadley if we have to worry about watching after you as well…please just do as I'm asking."

"Do you honestly think this office is any safer than the rest of the school at this point?" Harry asked stiffly.

Sirius only stared evenly back at Harry, who finally gave in…if only to keep his godfather from locking him up somewhere else.

"Fine, I'll stay…but if you're taking too long, I'm coming after you," he said determinedly. "I'll tell you that right now."

Sirius made no reply to this, but the look in his eyes clearly showed he believed that would not be happening, before crossing to the door, where Snape was already waiting. Ron followed, promising Harry they wouldn't be long, leaving only Minerva behind, to wait with.

"You're not going as well?" Harry asked, somewhat glad to not have been left alone.

"Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself into trouble again," Minerva replied with a smirk.

Under different circumstances, Harry might have laughed at that statement, but right now, he was feeling only tension and worry.

"You haven't heard from Troy, by any chance, have you?" Harry asked hopefully, but McGonagall only shook her head faintly.

"Nothing yet," she replied seriously, "but he said it could take a while, so until then…no news is good news."

Harry nodded, not entirely agreeing in this particular case, but feeling it was pointless to worry about it just yet. Lowering himself into a chair, he thought back over the last few hours. It had been a very long night…and the end didn't seem to be in sight.

As he was going over everything in his mind, however, Harry sat forward in his seat with a jolt, suddenly remembering the incident just after he found Hadley and Devon.

"Minerva," he began urgently, "earlier this evening, when I was first coming to see you, I saw something, but I couldn't make it out clearly…only that it was a large, bright silver light…it flew through the walls near the Gryffindor Tower…nearly knocked me over."

McGonagall looked at him, her brow furrowed in confusion, before speaking.

"You mean it was attacking you?"

"No, nothing like that," Harry said immediately. "Well, I don't think so, anyway. I think it was just passing through. Do you have any idea what it could have been?"

McGonagall shook her head faintly; looking very worried over the news Harry was giving her.

"Not with only that to go on, I'm afraid I don't…" she began, when another voice suddenly cut her off.

"I, however, can answer that question for you."

Harry's blood turned to ice as he immediately recognized the new voice. He thrust his hand into his robes for the wand, only to feel it slip past his fingers, up over the chair, and into the waiting hand of Adrik Lestrange.

"Please forgive my intrusion," Adrik said politely, as Harry jumped from his seat and spun around, seeing the death eater slipping the wand into his pocket "I couldn't help but overhear your discussion…and thought I might shed some light on the subject…" he trailed off, looking in Minerva's direction and nodding. Harry started to turn, wondering why the head mistress had done nothing yet to attack Adrik, as he'd seen the death eater take only his wand, but the sight that met his eyes caused his stomach to flip.

It was no longer Minerva standing near the desk; it was a shapeshifter. Harry followed the dark-robed being, as it crossed the office slowly. Adrik whispered to it briefly, before it nodded, and left the office.

"Where is Minerva?" Harry asked sharply, his eyes flashing. "What have you done with her?"

"She's perfectly alright," Adrik said quickly, "She and the other professors are all safe and sound in the dungeons. I and several of my comrades had to come straight here, you see, after your escape from the ministry…and as none of your friends even knew you were gone yet…nor did they know of our arrival…it was rather easy to round them all up. Your godfather and that Weasley fellow will be joining them shortly…the other shapeshifter will see that they're led into an ambush, leaving you without anyone left to call on for help…"

"Other shapeshifter…what do you…?"

"That wasn't the real Severus Snape you were speaking with only moments ago…couldn't you tell?"

"And Hagrid?" Harry asked stiffly, realizing now, that Snape had been acting odd…and that he'd also been the one to point out how long Hagrid was taking, which was why everyone had left him alone with McGonagall. "Was he a shapeshifter too?"

"No, that was indeed him, the stupid oaf…he helped you escape from the guards…though he's now taken care of as well…" he trailed off, grinning.

"You've been watching me this whole time?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Since you reached the stairway, yes," Adrik grinned.

"How did you get in?" Harry asked crisply, wondering how the death eaters managed to surprise all of the other professors.

"Through your office," Adrik replied pleasantly, finally stepping slowly into the room, his crookedly, sewn-shut eyelids falling directly on Harry. He came to a halt on the opposite side of the chair, and remained there, before continuing. "That information you gave Thurston was most helpful, I do thank you for it."

"Why?" Harry asked quietly. "Why bring my friends into this? This doesn't concern them."

"Harry, the most important thing to remember in any battle is that it's never good to leave enemies alive," Adrik said slowly, pausing for a brief moment, as a look of horror spread over Harry's face, and continuing. "Besides, I'm sure they wouldn't simply hand you over to me…and I can't have them disrupting all my careful planning, now can I?" he chuckled, as if he'd said something quite funny, before going on. "We knew you'd end up back here soon enough…if the guards in Hogsmeade didn't catch you first, anyway. But you made it, just as I expected you would," he grinned, looking almost proud for a moment, before continuing on. "Ah look, I've gotten us far off topic, haven't I? I believe you were asking about the silver light, correct?"

Harry just glared at him, unmoving…he wondered, at the mention of Hogsmeade, what had become of Draco and Hermione, but he didn't want to say anything in front of Adrik. In the event they'd managed to escape, he didn't want to bring this to the death eater's attention and risk him sending someone after them.

"Gone quiet have you?" Adrik asked tauntingly, when Harry made no reply. "Well then, I'll just explain it to you, while we wait. You see…whenever two ghosts clash…and I mean physically clash, they merge in a sense…becoming exactly what you witnessed in the hallway near the Gryffindor tower. A ball of energy. It remains that way, until the fight is over…during this time, however, they have no control over their movements, and that is what you witnessed in the hall, when it nearly collided with you."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, confused. "None of the ghosts here fight like that…"

"This is true," Adrik smiled, darkly. "But one of the ghosts involved isn't from here…" he trailed off, reaching into his pockets and extracting a small vile. He smirked at it, looking satisfied, before tossing it perfectly to Harry.

Reacting instantly, Harry easily caught the vile, and began examining it warily. It looked to be filled with some sort of gray, smoky matter…

"What is it?" he asked at last, not entirely sure he wanted to know.

"The correct question would be, 'who was it?'" Adrik sneered. "And the answer is, the Bloody Baron. Careful not to spill any…he stains…" he trailed off, chuckling to himself.

Harry's eyes widened in horror and his jaw dropped at once.

"What did you do to him?" he asked, feeling suddenly sickened.

"I had no part in what was done, unfortunately," Adrik said with a hint of disappointment. "Though I would've loved to have seen it happen. He's been terminated," he explained, "as close as one gets to killing a ghost, though they cannot die, obviously…but that one will never again be snooping around where he isn't wanted now, will he…he's lost his human form, permanently."

"How…?" Harry whispered. "Who was he fighting with?"

"An old friend of yours," Adrik grinned darkly. "He's here somewhere…aren't you, Peter?"

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat upon hearing the name.

"You…you can't mean…" he stammered, hesitantly.

"Come on then, Pettigrew, show yourself," Adrik prompted, a hint of impatience in his tone.

Harry had no voice left to express his complete and utter surprise, as the reluctant form of Wormtail appeared just behind Adrik. The balding, thickset ghost was keeping his eyes on the floor, not daring to look in Harry's direction, and suddenly it was all clear. This was who had been hiding in his office…and spying on him all year. Harry could feel a burning anger building up within him.

"What's the matter Pettigrew?" Adrik asked, tauntingly and it was completely obvious to Harry just by hearing the death eater's tone, how deeply he loathed Wormtail. It was probably the only thing he and Harry agreed on. "Frightened of Mr. Potter, are you? He isn't even armed…"

Wormtail remained ever silent, and Harry finally was able to pry his eyes away from the ghost and back to the vile in his hands.

"It doesn't make sense," he said evenly, finding his voice again. "How could Wormtail defeat the Bloody Baron?" he asked, thinking the feeble ghost would never have been able to defeat such a powerful ghost…he doubted even the Grey Lady would have trouble in a fight with Peter.

"Oh, you're quite right," Adrik replied gleefully. "He was losing terribly. It was only by chance that another of our spies happened to see what was happening…and came to his aid…" he trailed off, chuckling snidely, before speaking again, with harsh insistence. "Now go, Peter, make yourself useful. Tell the others we've been waiting."

Harry watched for a long moment as Wormtail glared hatefully at Adrik, but didn't speak a word against him. Instead, he turned silently in the air, and floated towards the door, vanishing from sight before he even reached it.

"Good," Adrik muttered as soon as Peter was gone, not having so much as turned his head away from Harry's the entire time, before another smile touched his lips. "Not much longer Potter."

"Who's coming?" Harry asked quickly.

"You'll see when they get here," Adrik said evenly.

"Are they the other spies?" Harry said quietly.

"Of course they are," Adrik replied as if it were obvious. "Everything is going along as planned…the only thing left is to collect the children, and be on our way."

"The children," Harry repeated darkly. "Would one of them be Hadley?"

"One of them would," Adrik nodded. "She's been giving us a bit of trouble though, that one. We've yet to find her. However, there's only so many places she can hide "he trailed off, smiling wickedly

"You said children," Harry stated icily, "Who else?"

"You'll see."

"What about Mel?" Harry asked finally, forcing calmness into his tone for the question that had been running through his mind since Adrik had first entered the room. "What do you want with her?"

Adrik smiled then, in such a manner that it made Harry's stomach turn.

"Melanie, yes…she is quite important to all of this," Adrik said with what could only be affection in his tone. "I was quite pleased with how well everything turned out…you made it much easier on us, thank you," he said, sounding entirely sincere.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked through clenched teeth, his hands balled into tight fists at his sides.

"It's not my place to say, unfortunately," Adrik sighed, disappointedly. "But perhaps my lord will wish to explain it to you before we part ways."

"Voldemort?" Harry asked, his eyes going wide. "He's here?"

Adrik only smiled in reply, tauntingly.

Harry glanced around instinctively…he had to get out of here…he had to free his friends…and he had to find Mel.

"You may as well just relax, Harry," Adrik's voice broke through his thoughts, and Harry turned to find the death eater's wand pointing directly at him. "There's no way out this time, so you can stop looking for one. In a few moments we'll be on our way…we have much to do, after all…"

"Like what?" Harry spat.

Adrik snickered to himself as if Harry had said something quite funny, before shaking his head, but his wand remained as steady as ever.

"Like giving the vrid in your pocket to Mr. Thurston…and making sure Dumbledore has an unfortunate accident in Nabakza before he can be freed, now that the wonderful announcement all over the news has been heard by all, proving him innocent…and you guilty of the murders. Then, once we've made it look as though you were, regrettably, killed during your escape attempt…we'll bring you back to the Shadow Walkers."

"Why is it so important that you give me to them?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "Why are you bothering to go through all this trouble…you could kill me yourself right now…" he said warily, somewhat regretting that he had even pointed that fact out.

"Harry I could've killed you over a dozen times throughout the year," Adrik stated impatiently, "starting with the night in the dark forest. I didn't, however, because I needed someone to occupy the cult…and to keep them off of our trail. They want blood, you see, and they're going to take it from whoever stole their Orb. Without it, they're as good as dead…so they'll do the same to the person who did this to them. That was the reason for putting their mark on your wrist…it completed the deception," he stated, proudly.

"Did you also do something to make them believe I was Jared?" Harry asked stiffly.

"No," Adrik stated simply. "You did that yourself."

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion.

"How…?" he asked, uncertainly.

"I was never told exactly how," Adrik said, sounding slightly perturbed over that fact.

"The cult will realize it wasn't me, you know," Harry said, careful not to mention Troy. "Sooner or later, they'll know the truth…and then they'll come after you…"

"Let them try," Adrik replied with a laugh. "After tonight, they'll never be able to track the true thief again…for I assure you, it was not I who went into their village…only someone who is, or who used to be a Shadow Walker can even step into the protective shield they keep over the temple of the Orb…everyone else will die if they try."

"Then who took it?" Harry asked, knowing what Adrik was saying was true. He could still remember the feeling that came over him when Castor had pulled him into the temple for the first time…he had nearly suffocated.

"You'll see," Adrik replied, smirking.

Harry shook his head, sighing, inaudibly, in frustration. He turned away from Adrik, searching the office frantically for anything he might use…but there was nothing. Books, shelves, parchment…harmless, everyday items. Minerva, of course, kept anything dangerous hidden or locked away, and even if Harry knew where any of it was, he doubted he could reach it in time, before Adrik saw him…

How is he seeing me though? he thought suddenly. Harry knew that Adrik could use the eyes of anyone else to see through…but was anyone else in the room?

"Done searching?" Adrik's voice broke through his thoughts, a condescending sneer on his face. "I told you, there's no way out."

Harry didn't reply, and turned quickly to the other side of the office, scanning it intently…but it looked as though he and Adrik were alone…which meant Adrik was only using Harry's eyes. It didn't sound right, but it had to be…there was no one else there. Adrik was seeing only what Harry saw…which meant he only knew where Harry was, by what he was looking at…

Harry turned to glance over the office again, feeling a glimmer of hope, which he used to force down the panic that had been steadily building within him…as Adrik had said, others were coming, he didn't know how much time was left. However, he had to be absolutely certain of his surroundings for this to work, but not be so obvious that Adrik figured out what he was up to.

Looking carefully at the area nearest him, Harry saw only one table between he and the wall to his right, and from there he only had to get around the edge of a large armchair. After that, it was clear all the way up to the door.

Harry continued on looking past the exit from the office, scanning the opposite side of the room, pretending as if he were still searching, and listening as Adrik laughed quietly at his actions.

"You never give up, do you?" the death eater asked, his tone clearly relaying what a waste of time he considered Harry's efforts to be.

Harry didn't reply, and stepped slowly back, away from the chair he was standing near, as Adrik was still directly on the opposite side of it. With one last glance over the route he had to take, Harry looked quickly away, directing his gaze towards his feet, and with sudden determination; it was now or never, he shut his eyes.

For a moment, Harry remained perfectly still, waiting, before finally he began to step slowly to his right, trying to picture how far it would be before he reached the table.

"Aren't you the clever one?" Adrik's voice floated through the air, mixed with amusement and annoyance. Harry made no reply, he just concentrated on keeping his eyes shut, it was harder than he thought.

"Come off it, Harry," Adrik tried again. "If you step outside this room, you're walking into a world of people who'll curse you on sight. The school is filled with guards looking for you. Lilith is here as well…there's no where for you to go."

Again, Harry remained silent, forcing himself to take small steps, and after just over a minute, which felt like ages, he finally felt the edge of the table as his shins brushed against it.

"I can hear you," Adrik whispered, and Harry fought off the urge to open his eyes. It was utterly nerve-racking not knowing where exactly the death eater was…and where his wand was aiming. "How does it feel, Harry? Surrounded in complete darkness, not knowing where anything is? Not knowing who's watching you…I hope you know exactly where you're going…because it won't take much more noise than you're already making for me to find you…"

Harry could feel a light sweat breaking out on his brow, but didn't bother wiping it away. He simply kept his eyes shut firmly, seeing spots swirling against the underside of his eyelids from the pressure, and felt his way around the table.

Upon reaching the wall, Harry quickly moved alongside it, hand over hand, and misjudged the length of space before the chair in his path rushed up to meet him. He winced more from the surprise of the sudden contact rather than in pain, as he rubbed instinctively at his hip, when a sudden noise caused his breath to catch in his throat.

The air in front of Harry's face became hot for a split second, as something rushed by, before it crashed into the wall beside him, and he put a hand up to shield his face, from the bits of the curse that rained back at him. He knew at once what had happened; Adrik had heard him hit the chair, and tried to stun him…he'd missed by less than an inch.

"Stupefy!" the death eater's voice called out again, and this time Harry ducked, as the rush of heat passed by over his head, directly through the space in which he'd been standing. He had to use every last ounce of concentration and strength to stop his eyes from doing what they so badly wanted to do…he couldn't open them. He also couldn't remain where he was, however, as Adrik obviously wasn't going to give up, and continued to attempt to stun him.

Feeling around blindly, Harry took hold of the legs of the chair, and slid only the slightest bit away, staying on his knees until he was past, and praying the curses that continued to zoom by wouldn't hit him. When he could no longer feel the chair nearby, Harry stood up as silently as possible, and remained still as the curses finally stopped.

"I know you're still there," Adrik said finally, now sounding entirely impatient. "I didn't hear you fall…"

Breathing quickly, his heart racing in his chest, Harry inched forward in the direction he hoped the door would be. The seconds ticked by slowly; and Harry knew Adrik's silence could only mean the death eater was now concentrating only on finding him by any noise he might make, and that thought was enough to send a chill down his spine. But no sooner had the thought gone through his head then his fingers brushed the wall, and he only had to take two steps to his left, before his hand found the door.

Pausing for a moment, fighting the urge to simply wrench it open and try to run, as the moment his eyes opened this game would end, Harry lifted his right hand back towards the wall he'd just passed, feeling around cautiously. There was a shelf nearby, he remembered, just before the door, and it wasn't long before his fingers nearly knocked over what felt like a small, glass figurine of some sort.

Grasping the item tightly, Harry turned and threw it, hard, back in the direction he'd come from, hoping Adrik would assume he hadn't made it as far as the door yet. The moment the sound of the breaking glass touched his ears, Adrik's voice followed, and Harry didn't waste any time. He opened the door and slipped out into the cool stairway, but didn't feel any relief. He knew Adrik would realize immediately that he'd sent his curse off in the wrong direction…and while it may take a moment for him to find the door…it would not be impossible for the death eater to follow.

Opening his eyes at long last, Harry barely waited for his vision to focus on the dim stairway before starting down. He raced to the backside of the gargoyle statue and watched it swing aside, fearing that at any second he would hear the sound of the office door opening, though he never did. The moment the statue was out of his way, he flew into the hallway, and straight into the path of Oren Alcott.

For a brief moment that seemed to slow down as it happened, the two stared in shock, neither having expected to run into the other at that moment. Harry saw at once that Oren had a student with him, and he was surprised to see Devon standing at the death eater's side his eyes wide with alarm, but as Oren's hand suddenly plunged into his robes, Harry felt time rushing back to him. He wasn't going to let it happen this time, and having no wand or anything else to defend himself with, Harry did the only thing he could.

Drawing his right arm up and back in one fluid motion, he swung out hard, and caught a very shocked Oren on the left side of his jaw, knocking him off balance. The death eater staggered to the side, but Harry could see he'd managed to hold onto his wand, which was now grasped tightly in the man's right hand. Lunging forward, Harry tried to reach for it, but Oren was ready for that, and pulled the wand out of reach, just as the gargoyle statue began sliding open once more. Harry felt a wave of panic wash over him. Adrik had made it downstairs quicker than he'd expected…and closing his eyes wouldn't work this time, as there were other people around.

Having no time left, Harry did the only thing he could think of. He saw Oren straightening himself back up again, but didn't give him time to do anything more, as he reached out and took hold of the man's arm. Oren immediately started to pull away, as Adrik finally stepped out of the stairway. The gargoyle slowly began to slide shut again, and Harry didn't waste any time. Stepping back towards Adrik, Harry swung Oren around and knocked him into the blind death eater, sending both wizards sprawling into the stairway once more…seconds before the statue finally finished closing.

Breathing quickly, knowing it would barely take them half a minute to get out again, Harry turned, took hold of a very shocked looking Devon by the arm, and started to run.

"What's going on?" Devon asked after they'd made it down the first long corridor, sounding out of breath as Harry half pulled him along, forcing him to keep up.

"We have to get downstairs," Harry said at once, looking around wildly before continuing through the hall. He didn't want to bring Devon with him, but obviously Adrik wanted the boy for something, and Harry didn't feel safe leaving him someplace to wait. "I'll explain everything later."

They reached the stairs and after checking for guards…and anything else…Harry stepped forward onto the platform, taking Devon with him. They'd only made it down one flight, and had just begun on the next, however, when Harry heard an all too familiar groaning creak, and realized with dawning horror that the stairway had begun to move.

Unable to go back the way they'd come as they'd surely run into Adrik and Oren…and no longer able to take a direct route to the dungeon area, Harry and Devon made their way quickly down the rest of the stairway they were on, and stepped out onto the fourth floor.

After checking the hallway, the two of them started up the corridor, coming up to Harry's quarters on the left. He thought suddenly of his invisibility cloak…and the marauder's map. It ended up being a good thing that they'd been forced onto this floor after all.

"I just have to stop here for a second, Devon," Harry said hastily, coming to his office door. "There's something I-" he cut off suddenly as a bolt of light smashed into the wall between them, and they both looked up.

"Run!" Harry yelled, seeing two guards coming up the hall they'd just been through. Grabbing the boy's hand and forgetting about the items, as they now had no time, the two raced up the corridor, barely managing to dodge two more stunning spells before turning the corner at the end.

"Do you have your wand?" Harry asked hurriedly, looking eagerly down at the small boy.

"No…that man…he took it!" Devon said, worriedly.

Harry cursed under his breath as they passed the portrait of the fat lady in a blur, before skidding to an abrupt halt. Two more guards had stepped out from around the far corner, blocking their path.

Spinning around frantically, Harry felt his stomach flip…they were both unarmed, and trapped in the corridor, between the four guards who were closing in on them.

"Now what?" Devon whispered, glancing up and down the hallway, warily.

Harry looked at him, regretfully, before looking up at the nearer set of guards.

"Please, you have to listen to me," he began, imploringly. "All of the students are in danger! We have to get them out…the professors are locked in the dungeons and there are death eaters in the school!"

The guards made no reply, but a few of them snickered quietly.

"I swear I'm telling the truth," Harry said, trying not to panic as they grew closer, their wands all trained on him. "I won't try to run…I'll go wherever you want…just please help me save them first!"

"You'll go wherever we want either way," one of the guards spoke then, tightening the grip on his wand before steadying it on his target.

"Are you even listening?" Harry asked angrily. "There are death eaters here…in the school! All of the children are in danger!" he cried, feeling a growing sense of hopelessness filling him; he had no way out…and they didn't seem to believe him…

As the second set of guards reached him, triumphant sneers on their faces, Harry opened his mouth again, not willing to stop trying, when suddenly he heard two very familiar voices fill the air.

Glancing behind him just in time to see the first two guards' faces go slack, Harry watched them fall to the floor, and couldn't help but smile as he now saw Hermione and Ginny standing in the hall, near the portrait of the fat lady, wands out and ready. They had stunned the two men closer to them, and quickly shifted their aim towards the ones still standing.

Harry watched apprehensively, as the two guards shifted the aim of their own wands, but the witches had a head start, already having called out their spells. In seconds, the hall was littered with the still forms of the four guards.

"Harry, are you alright?" Ginny cried as she and Hermione raced across to him.

"I'm fine," Harry nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

"Where are the others?" Hermione asked hastily. "Have you found anyone?"

"Everyone's locked in the dungeons," Harry stated gravely. "Adrik, Oren, and Lilith are here…and so is Voldemort."

"Voldemort," Hermione repeated, her eyes widening. "But…?"

"We don't have time now," Harry said abruptly, looking towards Devon who had been standing in the same spot the whole time, remaining utterly silent as he looked on. "Adrik was after Devon," Harry continued, nodding towards the young boy. "He's after Hadley as well…we have to find her…and we have to free the others…they have all the professors…and Sirius and Ron."

Both girls' eyes went wide at hearing this, but Ginny was the first to speak, her eyes becoming almost steely with determination.

"We have to go then, right now," she said fiercely.

"Ginny," Harry began. "You shouldn't…"

"I'm coming Harry," Ginny said with a stubborn resolve. "Ron is my brother…and you need more than just one person with a wand. Give me detention, I don't care…you won't change my mind."

Harry looked at her for a brief moment, torn on what to do…

"Alright then," he said quietly. "Just swear you won't get hurt…" he trailed off, letting a tiny smile cross his face. "Or maybe I will give you detention," he joked, though inside, he was still worried.

Ginny started to smile, and opened her mouth to reply, when a sudden gasp from Hermione drew their attention to her.

"Skeins," she whispered fearfully, looking down past the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Ginny's eyes widened in fear as she followed Hermione's gaze, and let out a small, terrified cry. She'd never seen one until now. There were three of them, slinking quickly down the hall, their black, spider-like legs protruding from their back, and their white eyes gleaming in the dim hallway.

"Run," Harry managed to get out as he back-stepped down the hall, grabbing Devon as he went. The poor boy had to be in some form of shock…he wasn't speaking any longer…and his eyes were fixed on the large creatures.

Hermione and Ginny didn't need to be told twice as they quickly moved further up the hall as well, before finally turning and setting off into a dead run. The four of them made it to the corner as the Skeins were quickly closing the gap between them, when Hermione spun around abruptly, twirling her wand expertly through the air, and creating a temporary barrier only seconds before the Skeins reached them. The three spider-creatures slammed determinedly into the blockade, looking positively enraged as they repeatedly attempted to bring it down, but it did no good. They would have to wait it out, or find another way around.

"Good thinking," Harry grinned with relief.

"That'll give us a few minutes at least," Hermione said warily as they continued quickly down the corridor. "Let's just find the others…"

Harry looked at her for a long moment, the worry she felt for their friends, Ron especially, was etched on every line of her face, and he knew exactly how she felt.

"How did you get away?" he asked after a minute, as they kept up their hurried pace.

"In Hogsmeade, you mean?" she asked quickly, and he nodded. "The guards left…" she shrugged in confusion, her eyes narrowing. "I don't know what happened. I was dodging spells one minute, and the next, I saw them going back into the village…like they were called away or something. They just gave up. I'm assuming now it's because they were sent here…to the school, for you."

"What about Draco?" Harry asked. "Did you see what happened to him?"

Hermione shook her head slowly.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I went back a little ways into the village…but I didn't see him anywhere…and I didn't know what was happening here, so finally I just left…" she trailed off, a hint of guilt in her eyes.

"I'm sure he's fine," Harry said then, wanting to reassure her, but now worried for Draco as well. He'd known they were going to the school…why wouldn't he come as well? If all the guards had been called off…

"I looked for nearly an hour though…and when I couldn't find him, I went back to the shops," Hermione continued quickly. "I figured you must've used the path through Honeydukes…and decided that was probably a better idea, since the Shrieking Shack would only bring me to the front of the school…and when I finally made it inside, Ginny was the first person I saw."

"We were told to stay in the common room," Ginny added quickly. "McGonagall told all the houses they weren't to leave their dorms, no matter what…the only reason I was even out was because no one could find Devon," she said with a quick glance in the young boy's direction. "I was checking the hall, since he likes to sit there sometimes…and then Hermione came out from behind that old witch statue."

"And then you showed up," Hermione continued, looking at Harry. "I had only just started to speak with Ginny, when we heard someone yelling…and we ducked out of sight. You came running around the corner with Devon…and then those guards cornered you…"

"And now here we are," Harry finished grimly, but glad to see they were finally at the hall that would lead them to the dungeon area…and wondering how they'd made it this far without running into anyone else.

"Should we check the Slytherin dorms?" Ginny asked quietly, looking around nervously, as if she expected an attack at any second. "See if Hadley's there?"

"I doubt she is," Harry replied, "or Adrik would've found her by now…" he trailed off, still wondering why he hadn't seen either Adrik or Oren since the fight outside the head office. He knew that he couldn't possibly have had more than a half a minute's head start on them at best…

"Let's get the others out first," Hermione said quickly. "With more of us looking, we have a better chance of finding her."

"Right," Harry nodded faintly, but becoming increasingly uncomfortable with each passing second. Why had no one stopped them yet? If all of their friends were down here…wouldn't there be guards? It seemed too easy…but what choice did they have except to go? Harry knew the others felt the same as he, he could tell by the looks on their faces, but on the same note, he knew they would outright refuse the notion of leaving their friends in the dungeons…and there was no time to get any help from outside the school…this was the only way.

They walked in silence, past the potions classroom, past Snape's quarters and office, past several rooms used strictly for storage…moving deeper and deeper into the cold, dark dungeons.

Harry remembered the route well, having been through the same path less than a year before with the entity, Saaneeraa…so when they came to a locked gate in the middle of the hall, he knew something was wrong. This hadn't been there last time.

Coming to an abrupt stop, Harry opened his mouth to warn his friends…this wasn't right…when suddenly the hall was lit up. The small group split in half, Ginny and Hermione ducking near the wall on the left, and Harry pulling Devon down towards the wall on the right, crouching and trying to stay out of the line of fire. There were at least four guards at the end of the hallway, sending curse after curse down the corridor towards the trapped friends.

Ginny and Hermione wasted no time, immediately returning fire, while Harry could do nothing to help. He watched the battle tensely while trying to shield Devon from the attack, keeping the small boy behind him…and therefore didn't see it, when the young Gryffindor slowly rose to his feet.

Hermione and Ginny had each managed to stun one of the guards, making things even, when a new voice filled the air.

"Stupefy!"

Harry glanced over his shoulder, horrified to hear the voice coming from behind him, and saw Devon standing there, a wand in his hand, pointed towards Ginny and Hermione…only now, Hermione was unconscious on the floor. Before anyone could make a move, Devon repeated the spell, and Ginny slumped to the floor beside her friend.

"Devon!" Harry cried, managing to make his voice work through the shock of what he was seeing. "What…what are you…?" he stammered, realizing the curses that the remaining guards had been firing were no longer coming. He glanced up the hall, seeing the two men walking calmly towards him, wands out, before he looked back to Devon.

"So Oren took your wand, did he?" Harry asked darkly.

"Obviously, I lied," Devon replied simply, wearing a smile like Harry had never seen on him before. "I had to though…didn't want to give my wand to you, now did I?"

"Which means you're one of the spies," Harry said, bitterly. Here he'd been, trying to protect the boy…and all the while, he was simply bringing one of Voldemort's spies right along with him…

"I don't know if I'd call it that," Devon said casually, grinning as the two guards reached them at last.

"Well, guess we should be on our way then, ey?" the small boy spoke again; looking far more confident than Harry had ever known him to be. "Everyone will be waiting…"

Harry didn't need to ask who he was referring to…and could do nothing but watch as one of the guards lifted the still forms of Hermione and Ginny into the air. Devon raised his wand then, tilting it slightly, and in the next second, Harry's wrists were bound tightly behind him. The second guard grabbed him by the arm before he could even try to fight against the bonds, and forced him forward roughly, as the awkward group made their way back up the hall. They stopped momentarily near the two unconscious guards and Devon woke them quickly, before assigning them orders.

"Go down to the cells," he began evenly. "Bring his godfather and his friend with the red hair," he said gesturing to Harry, "and meet us upstairs."

"Why?" Harry asked angrily, wondering how it was that Devon had such control over the ministry guards. "My friends have nothing to do with this…"

"Okay," Devon replied nodding, as though Harry had just informed him of the weather. Glaring darkly at the back of the young boy's head as he was pulled along through the corridors, Harry finally felt the despair, which had been threatening to seep in all night, at last beginning to succeed. They were captured…and outnumbered.

Harry remained silent as they moved through the halls, dimly aware that they were heading back towards the head office. He tried to think…to stay aware…there had to be a way out of this…but if there was, he couldn't see it…

As they reached the stone gargoyle, Harry wasn't entirely surprised to hear Devon give the correct password, and watched blankly as the statue slid aside. They ascended the steps quickly, and entered the office to find it was quite occupied. Harry noticed Adrik, Oren and Lilith first…along with four Skeins perched near the windows. Huddled nearer to the desk were a group of ministry guards…but one of them Harry recognized immediately, and he felt his blood run cold.

"Lucius," Harry whispered in shock, seeing the death eater grinning widely back at him.

"You didn't think I'd miss this, did you Potter?" Lucius drawled as he crossed to where Harry stood, pulling him away from the guard holding him and dragging him forward. "Here, join your friend while we wait," he said icily, bringing Harry around a long seat and pushing him roughly onto it.

Harry struggled to sit up, realizing immediately there was someone next to him, and glanced over. He felt another wave of despair, however, as he recognized Draco Malfoy's tired form. The young wizard looked far paler than was normal…and there was a deep gash on the left side of his head, where a thick patch of his hair was soaked in blood. He blinked slowly, gazing at Harry through unfocused eyes.

"Draco…are you alright?" Harry asked anxiously, knowing what the answer was, but powerless to do anything that could help the injured wizard.

"He'll be fine," Lucius said offhandedly. "Besides, you should be more worried about yourself right now."

Harry made no reply, and looked away from the icy stare, taking in the room's other occupants. Nearly everyone was wearing ministry robes…Lucius included, which probably meant that none of them were actual ministry guards, but rather death eaters in disguise. That's why the ones in the hall hadn't cared when he tried to warn them…he was warning them about themselves. He wondered, briefly, exactly how many of them had been let out of Azkaban…

Continuing to look around, he saw Hermione and Ginny had been laid carelessly onto the other long seat; their hands had been bound as well, though they had yet to awaken. Adrik, Oren and Lilith were by the hearth, speaking in hushed tones…with Devon.

This explained the knowledge…and the skill the young boy had exhibited…as well as why he was so anxious to hide it. Harry had indeed found it odd that an eleven-year-old could perform a near perfect Patronus, but never considered for a moment that Devon might have some hidden agenda…and the reason why not, was simply the house he had been placed into. Surely the Sorting Hat wouldn't place someone so manipulative and conniving into Gryffindor, would it? But apparently this time, it had…

As if feeling someone staring at him, Devon's head slowly turned, and his blue eyes locked with Harry's, before he smiled, a most unpleasant smile for a young boy. Harry shivered involuntarily, but his attention was drawn away quickly, as the door to the office was opened. Sirius and Ron were both forced into the room, their hands tied, as they fought to free themselves from the death eaters' grasps. They were pushed down into chairs just as the others had been; Ron's gaze fell swiftly to Hermione and Ginny's unconscious forms and Sirius immediately looked to Harry.

"Are you alright?" he asked quickly. Harry nodded faintly.

"I'm fine," he replied quietly.

Now that everyone is present and accounted for," Devon's voice broke through and Harry looked towards him at once. He saw the young boy nod towards Ginny and Hermione, before Oren immediately nodded. The death eater stepped towards them at once, and pulled out his wand, waking the two girls quickly, and obviously amused by their initial disorientation…before they quickly realized what was going on.

"Who are you?" Harry spoke up darkly, glaring at Devon and drawing the attention of all in the room. If nothing else, he knew there was no way in the world a group of fully trained death eaters would take orders from an eleven-year-old boy, who was only working for them as a spy…

"You mean you don't know?" Devon asked with a malicious grin, his gaze lingering hatefully upon Harry for a brief moment, before he closed his eyes. Everyone was incredibly still for one long, drawn out minute, when suddenly Devon changed. Not in the way a shapeshifter changed…or even the way of an animagus…he was still Devon, only he was aging, rapidly, right in front of them.

It only lasted several seconds though, and when he opened his eyes once more, Harry felt his breath catch in his throat, his heartbeat echoing blaringly through his ears…suddenly it was horrifyingly clear why Devon had looked so familiar to him on that first night at the sorting ceremony. Where an eleven-year-old Gryffindor had stood moments ago, there was now an eighteen-year-old Slytherin, by the name of Tom Riddle.

"How?" Harry asked in utter shock, his face growing pale as a million questions raced through his mind at once. His friends only looked on in confusion, however, all except for Ginny…who looked positively terrified. Aside from Harry, she was the only one of his friends to have ever seen Tom Riddle as a teenager.

"Yes, I thought you might be surprised," Tom said with a small grin.

"How did you get into Hogwarts?" Harry asked at once. "How did you get your name on the list? How did you get into Gryffindor? How-"

"So many questions, Harry," Tom smiled. "But not really the right ones…"

"Who are you?" Sirius spoke up then, realizing that Harry recognized this boy standing in front of them, but having no idea himself…

"He's Tom Riddle," Harry whispered, never taking his eyes away from his enemy. "Voldemort."

"That's…that's impossible," Hermione said weakly, her eyes wide with shock.

"I assure you, it isn't," Tom replied smoothly.

"You've been in Hogwarts all year?" Ron asked, incredulously.

"I have indeed," Tom grinned.

"Why have you waited so long to show yourself?" Harry spat. "You could've killed me at any time…"

"Maybe you haven't noticed, but I don't want to kill you…it must be done by someone else."

"And what about the crystals?" Harry asked, sharply. "If you're not the one to…"

"I'm very much aware of that fact, thank you," Tom said hastily. "I kill you, I have control over the crystals…but if someone else kills you…" he trailed off, smirking. Several of the death eaters snickered quietly at this, and Harry could feel his blood begin to boil as he narrowed his eyes.

"Where's Mel?" he asked evenly.

"Closer than you think."

"And what do you want with her?" Harry continued, icily. He couldn't understand why Voldemort would want the powers to pass to the unborn child. "I swear if you hurt her…"

"Don't worry yourself about her right now," Tom stated lightly. "I need her alive until the baby is born…which will be sooner than she expects…"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, unable to conceal his dread.

Tom smirked in amusement at Harry's reaction, clearly enjoying the young wizard's discomfort…and fear.

"Let me tell you a story," Tom said then, moving away from his most loyal death eaters and moving around to the desk. He pulled out McGonagall's chair, and lowered himself into the seat, before folding his hands in front of him, and resting his blue eyes on Harry. "It truly is a sad tale, I should warn you…but it all comes together in the end, you'll see."

Harry remained silent, and Tom continued quickly.

"Many years ago, there was a young man named Jared Graham, who was horribly betrayed by the woman he loved. She threatened to leave him forever, feeling he was only using her…which of course, he was. She had abilities that he did not…and since they were very young, had always been able to pick up on magic faster than he. He needed her…and a part of him did love her…"

"I've heard this story before," Harry interrupted stiffly. "And if Jared loved Victoria then why would he kill her?"

"Because of their children," Tom said quickly, looking suddenly angry. "Jared had to be sure the children were raised properly…and if it had been left to Victoria, she would have taken them from him forever, turned them against him…and he would be left entirely alone. So he had to kill her…and once her ashes were scattered, he took his son and his daughter…and went far away…allowing only his most loyal friends to know of his location."

"Jared's plan failed then, didn't it?" Harry asked pointedly. "His son, Leto, hated him…and his daughter, Jessica, married a muggle. His family left him."

Tom gazed stonily at Harry, his eyes flashing…while Sirius and the others looked at him questioningly…he hadn't gotten the chance to tell them what he'd found out from Hadley, and they didn't know how he knew what he knew.

"Leto was rather ungrateful for the gifts his father offered him, yes," Tom said crisply. "But he loved Jared, most certainly, and hated it when his father was absent for long periods of time. Jared only did what was necessary to gain more power, however…and Leto didn't understand that…"

"Or Leto knew his father was a lying murderer who'd killed his mother," Harry said icily. "Why would Jared care about his children after all? If he was so power hungry, why keep them around…unless he planned on using them as well."

Tom's face contorted in such fury then, staring hatefully at Harry, as he slowly rose from behind the desk, and raised his wand.

"Crucio!"

In a searing flash of pain, Harry found himself writhing against his seat, screaming from the torment as he slid to the floor, feeling as if he were being pressed against hundreds of white-hot coals, his eyes rolling madly in his head…and then it stopped.

Harry lay, breathing heavily, anguished tears stinging his eyes and a racking cough in his lungs, as he slowly lifted his gaze, staring at Tom through blurry vision. Why did he seem so fiercely protective over Jared? Granted, it was his grandfather…but what had Jared ever done for him? The sounds of those around him started to return then, and Harry heard his godfather's angry voice, as though it were far away. He was dimly aware that Draco was on the floor beside him, when they were both abruptly wrenched to their feet, and tossed back onto the long couch.

"Don't interrupt me again," Tom said crisply, his wand still trained on Harry, before he slowly lowered himself back into his seat. "You have no idea what you're talking about, and I'd advise you not to jump to any conclusions. Jared loved his family, Victoria included…but he was never as strong as they were…and therefore had to work harder. You see, Victoria had been an heir of the great Salazar Slytherin…an unfair advantage, certainly…but one Jared never minded until she tried to leave him…he couldn't chance she might use it against him one day, he knew he could never beat her in a fair duel…so he simply waited one night until she was asleep…"

"He sounds like a coward," Sirius spat angrily then, and Tom looked sharply towards the wizard. Seeing that the dark haired Slytherin was fingering his wand, Harry spoke up quickly, wanting to take the focus away from Sirius.

"So what happened when Leto left?" he asked hurriedly. "Why wouldn't Jared stop him like he did Victoria?"

"Because it was Leto's hatred that enabled Jared to join into a most powerful group, who called themselves the Cult of Shadows. For all the rest of the world knew, Victoria's death was unexpected and heartbreaking to Jared…and now his son had left him. Jessica didn't factor in; as barely anyone knew of her existence…most would even assume she belonged to the Lestranges, as they had raised her from the time she was one. Jared would have, of course, but he was never around…so he watched his daughter grow from a far."

"Why would Jared want to join the cult?" Harry asked, truly curious.

"Surely you must have seen, as you've encountered them several times, how powerful they are?" Tom asked quickly. "Our magic has no affect on them…and it's all due to the Orb. No one knows who created it, or how…but its power is greater than almost any other known to the wizarding world…with one exception."

Harry opened his mouth to ask what one, but Tom rushed on hastily, not giving him the chance.

"The plan worked…Jared was accepted, and even respected for a long time amongst the cult. He was one of them…a Shadow Walker…but they didn't care for his frequent visits to the upper side. The cult does not associate with the wizarding world, not without reason…and after a time, they unfortunately figured out, that Jared was not with them to have a new family…but rather for the power." Tom paused for a moment, an icy gleam in his eyes. "They forced him out," he continued darkly. "Told him that if he ever came back into their world, they would see him dead…but the worst came, when they stripped away the powers they, themselves had bestowed upon him…he was back to being an ordinary wizard…like everyone else…and he swore he would have his revenge."

"Well he never got it, did he? Sirius asked stiffly, and Harry held his breath, sure that Riddle would lash out at his godfather, but the young looking Slytherin only smiled.

"After Jared returned to the wizarding world," Tom continued, "he was saddened to learn of his daughter's death…and devastated to learn that her son, was also the son of a filthy, dirty, muggle. Leto's family disregarded the boy as one of their own…leaving him to an orphanage and not caring what happened…"

"Did Jared ever try to help him…you?" Harry asked, thinking it felt strange to hear Riddle speak of himself this way…like he wasn't himself…

"Jared didn't care, absolutely not," Tom said with a tiny grin. "His daughter was dead, his son hated him, and the only grandchild that might actually be taught to love him, was tainted. He sought out his old friends once more, telling them of his failed plans…and together, they disappeared, for years…studying the darkest, most dangerous magic known to man…and some that was not. Jared was always pushing the limit…going further than any of his allies would dare…and that is why he soon grew more powerful than they…more powerful then even Victoria had been. Slytherin blood made no difference anymore…his son was no longer a threat to him, nor were any of his offspring. It was time for his revenge."

Harry watched Tom with confusion, as well as fear…the look in his eyes was one of madness, as he talked about his grandfather… He spoke for only a short while, telling of all Jared had done to the inhabitants of the wizarding world…anyone who he even remotely suspected of standing against him was killed…and in a way, it was even worse than what Voldemort had done. Tom told of Jared's transformation into Grindelwald…one of the world's most feared sorcerers, who didn't show mercy to anyone. Voldemort wanted to spare the purebloods, Grindelwald wanted to spare no one. He hadn't been a genius…he had been insane.

"After all that he'd accomplished, Grindelwald had unfortunately become somewhat overconfident," Tom said, looking almost sad. "And it was because of that, that Albus Dumbledore was able to defeat him…by invoking the power of the magic known as Lunis. He could never have hoped to defeat Grindelwald on his own…but alas, Dumbledore succeeded in defeating one of the greatest sorcerers ever known…" he trailed off, seething in anger, before speaking again, quietly. "It won't happen that way this time though…"

"What?" Harry and several of his friends asked in unison, all sounding equally baffled and surprised.

"Grindelwald's dead," Ginny spoke up meekly. "There can't be any next time…"

"As I recall, most all of the wizarding world assumed Voldemort dead as well," Tom said sharply.

"So Grindelwald's alive?" Ron asked, his eyes wide with shock.

"In a manner of speaking," Tom grinned wickedly, "yes."

"How?" Harry asked, horrified at what he was hearing. "If he's been alive all this time…where has he been hiding? How would no one know? Why hasn't he tried to attack again?"

"Harry," Hermione's voice said quietly, and he glanced towards her, his head still spinning from what the news. "It's him…" she said, looking more scared than he'd ever seen her.

"And the mudblood figures it out again," Tom said snidely. Harry felt his stomach flip…it couldn't be…it was impossible…

"You're…you're…" he stammered, his voice failing him.

"I suppose it was rude of me to skip that, where are my manners?" Tom said, a large grin spreading across his face as he once again rose from his seat. "Let me introduce myself, Harry Potter…my name is Jared Graham."

Harry felt numb. No matter how strange Riddle had been acting…he'd never for even a moment, expected this… All of his friends had gone distinctly pale…and, he noticed, so had a few of the death eaters. The only ones who actually seemed to have no worries over the shocking news, were Adrik, Lilith and Oren.

"If you're Jared…" Harry began hesitantly, "then why do you look like…?"

"My grandson?" Jared finished for him. "Because I am using his body…I don't have one of my own, you see. Albus Dumbledore destroyed it…"

"So you're Voldemort then?" Harry asked.

"No, Tom is Voldemort," Jared smiled, seeing Harry's confusion. "Allow me to explain," he said slowly, coming out from behind the desk and strolling casually to the center of the room. "When I fought with Dumbledore, and he defeated me…my body died…and so I was forced to find a new one…"

"The same way Voldemort did," Harry said quietly. "After he killed my parents…and tried to kill me…"

"No," Jared replied flatly. "When that happened, Tom had as much time as he needed…he could use someone else's body…or he could exist on his own…either way he was weak, and dependant…but alive. As for me, I didn't have that choice. I had only a few moments between the time my body died and the time my mind died, and if I hadn't found a new body immediately, I would have died."

"So your mind just…left your body?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"Precisely," Jared nodded. "I needed a plan, after all…in the event of such a tragedy, and that had been it. With all the magic I'd studied, and powers I'd acquired over the years, this was my only protection should the unthinkable happen…and when at last it did, I had to act quickly. I left my body, which was dead for all the wizarding world to see, and found a new one. The only problem was, it had to be someone with whom I shared blood, and they had to be near. It was simply by chance that Tom Riddle happened to be my closest living relative at that time, physically speaking, and I went to him at once. He was eighteen at that time…fresh out of school, and already well versed in the dark arts, as I soon discovered…"

"Did he know you were there?" Harry asked. "You were in his mind, right?"

"He felt my presence at once," Jared nodded, faintly. "If it had worked as I hoped, I would have been able to take immediate control of his mind…pushing his conscious thoughts out of my way…in a sense, becoming him. I would have left soon enough, of course…I don't particularly care for this body after all…as it is half muggle. But the downside, unfortunately, was that I had been too weak when I entered his mind…and as he was quite stronger than I'd anticipated, I could take no real control over him…the only thing I could do, was prevent him from pushing me out. At first, he listened to me…even started to trust me…but soon he grew too confident, too full of himself…and decided he didn't need my help. He was steadily acquiring more power, more followers, there was no doubt about that…and had made a name for himself in much the same way I had."

"So what did you do?" Harry asked, honestly curious.

"I waited," Jared said with the smallest hint of a grin crossing his lips. "I waited through his rise, for the ultimate fall which I knew would surely come. But even in his state of half-life, after his attempt to kill you backfired, I still could not overcome him. I could only feed from his energy, and as he barely had any…it was worse for me. For thirteen terrible years we existed in this manner…living off of other beings, weaker than ever before…" he trailed off, looking angrily down at the floor, before continuing evenly.

"When at last the dark time was over, Tom had managed to bring himself back with renewed strength…and while I, too, felt much stronger, I was still no match for him, and remained a prisoner, trapped in his mind…it seemed all hope was lost, I had resigned myself to that existence…barely a memory in a mudblood's mind… But then something most unexpected happened, only one year ago…a brilliant sliver of hope shone through the darkness…and it came from the last person I would ever have believed it to…" he trailed off, grinning wickedly down at Harry.

Harry only stared at him, confused and shocked, realizing it had to be him, but having no idea what he'd done…

"How?" he asked through a suddenly dry throat. "What did I do?"

"What you always do," Jared said, rolling his eyes. "Anything you have to if it means protecting the ones you love…it really is quite a vulnerable spot for you, I've noticed…but it's too late to change now," he smirked.

"So because I fought Voldemort I helped you?" Harry asked, not understanding.

"Because of the way you fought, actually," Jared replied. "If it had been a simple duel, I would have remained as I was…but you entered his mind, Harry. You entered his mind, and you weakened him terribly…and when that happened, at last…at long last, I had my first opportunity to take control…and I was successful."

Harry's head was spinning. Jared had been living inside Voldemort since he was only eighteen…he'd been alive for all these years, and no one had ever known.

"Is Voldemort dead then?" Harry asked when he found his voice again. "Did you kill him?"

"Are you mad?" Jared laughed. "If I killed him I would lose this body…no matter which of us is in control, it's still his, and if his mind dies, his body dies. No, he's still in here, and quite angry, at that. I'll be leaving soon, however…he can have his tainted blood back…it's really quite revolting in here…"

"Leaving?" Harry asked, suddenly alarmed. "Where will you…?"

"Patience Harry," Jared interrupted, smirking. "We haven't reached that part of the story yet."

Harry felt only cold dread in his gut, and could clearly see this feeling mirrored in the expressions of his friends, but no one interrupted as Jared continued.

"When you entered Tom's mind, I saw an opportunity. There you were, young and unsuspecting…I should have been able to easily switch from his mind to yours…except I found out at once that I could not…you had powers far stronger than my own or Tom's. You never knew I was there, you were too interested in figuring out how to stop Tom…and so my failed attempt went unnoticed. But, you helped me in another way…one that works much better, the way I see it..."

Harry could only stare, speechless, waiting for him to explain.

"It is obvious to me now, that you were not accustomed to using your powers…the crystals. Because of that, your control over them, while they would obey your wishes, was still limited. When you started going back through Tom's memories…back in time, so to speak, he was going through as well, but in a more literal sense. His powers, while he still possessed them, were weakened the further back you went, making it as if he were actually a little boy again, instead of the much-feared wizard he'd become. His powers went backwards…as did his body. You inadvertently gave him the ability to age…or become younger…you altered his mind, as well as his body, because you did not know what you were doing."

"Now, had it been only Tom inhabiting this body, it would have changed everything," Jared said quickly. "You would have turned him into a little boy, who possessed the knowledge of a first-year student, and was a danger to no one…but because I was within him…I at last had my opportunity. The moment you were pulled out, I escaped. I pushed out of the dark depths of my grandson's mind, taking complete control over his body. He was powerless to stop me, having only the magical knowledge of an eleven-year-old to aide him, and I did to him what he had done to me for all those years…trapped him in the back of his mind…his own mind."

"Won't he be able to escape?" Hermione asked quietly. "As he grows stronger…since it's his body…?"

"Not at all," Jared smiled. "As I said, Harry's mind games brought Tom back in time. Once I leave this body, he will have control…but he will be as he was just before I took over."

"You mean…he'll be a little boy?" Ron asked, shocked.

"A little boy with a lot of power…that he will have no idea he possesses…" Jared trailed off, smiling. "The most important thing, however, is that he will not be a threat to me."

"So you have control over his mind and his body…making him look older or younger as you choose?" Harry asked. "And he has no idea about any of this?"

"Exactly," Jared grinned. "He's trapped in a dark space of nothingness…quite afraid, actually…but it won't last much longer…and perhaps I'll even let him live once I've left here…"

"And where do you intend on going?" Harry asked, again feeling anger boiling within him…pushing back his dread and fear.

"We're getting to that," Jared grinned maliciously. "Or are you tired of this story?" he asked, tauntingly.

Harry clenched his teeth and shook his head slowly, sitting tensely on the edge of the long couch.

"Alright," he stated crisply, thinking at least if Jared were here speaking with him…he knew where he was. "What happened then? You had control over Voldemort's body…"

"But I wanted a new body," Jared finished the statement quickly. "I wanted to be free of the tainted blood I'd been forced to live with for so long…I wanted more power…I wanted what I'd felt for those few brief moments, in which your mind and Tom's were joined. It was more power than I'd ever felt before…"

"Then why haven't you just killed me?" Harry asked flatly.

"If I kill you," Jared began slowly, "Your powers go to this body…I'm more than aware of that. The problem with that is, those powers belong to Tom. If I killed you, it would be like opening the door to the prison I've put him in…not exactly what I want, seeing as how it would enable him to regain control of his mind, his body, his powers…and leave me with nothing."

"Then you have no way to get the powers," Harry stated confidently. "If you can't kill me…and you weren't able to take control of my mind when you had the chance…not to mention you've told us you can only enter the mind of someone you share blood with…"

"Harry," Jared said, shaking his head like a father trying not to be too quick with his son. "One thing you might want to remember, is that sometimes the most obvious options are not the ones to choose…"

"After I'd escaped the school…I located my friends…my loyal friends," Jared said pointedly, earning tiny smirks from Adrik, Lilith and Oren, "It was only a small matter of convincing them it was truly me…and as I'd hoped, it was not easy. But I would expect no less of them; they would not accept me until I'd proved myself. Once that was out of the way…I could get started on what I'd been waiting so long to do. Get revenge on those who had been responsible for my downfall…"

"That would be yourself," Sirius spoke up crisply.

Jared's icy gaze turned on Sirius and Harry felt his throat tighten.

"So it was Dumbledore you were after then?" Hermione spoke up quickly, looking anxiously at Jared, who began chuckling softly as he turned to face her.

"In part, yes," he nodded faintly. "But for many years before that incident, I had wanted to repay the cult for turning on me…and only after taking control of Tom's body, did that become a reachable goal. I knew they would recognize me immediately, you see…my scent would be quite easily detected…but I knew what I had to do…I had to steal the Orb. By removing it from the temple, the Shadow Walkers would slowly begin to weaken…the younger ones will die first…and soon there will be none left."

"How did you make them think I did it then?" Harry asked, stiffly.

"You did that for me," Jared smiled widely. "When you entered Tom's mind…it was like a mixing of your auras…your essences…you just didn't realize it was happening. Because I have been part of Tom for so long…part of me was transferred to you as well. It wasn't just our blood…or our minds…it was our beings."

Harry's eyes went wide with shock, but Jared only laughed.

"It obviously wasn't enough to make any difference that you would recognize," he said, rolling his eyes. "Or you would have realized part of me was now within you…but it was enough, however, to fool the cult."

"Is that how you got yourself sorted into Gryffindor as well?" Harry asked, darkly.

"Indeed it was," Jared grinned, "Since I was quite aware of the mixing, I had some control over it, in a way…and when I stole the Orb, I made sure they caught your scent mingled with mine…so when they finally found you, they assumed you were me without a second thought. But I needed to make sure while they were hunting you, that they didn't stumble across me as well…"

"Then why come to Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "If we're both in the same place…"

"For the same reason Dumbledore thought it best that you come here," Jared cut him off. "Because here you're surrounded by wizards and witches…both in the school, and near one of the busiest towns in the area. Besides, once I found out you were going to be teaching here, I knew I had to come…it would be the easiest way to keep watch on you, to make sure you played along in my little plan…"

"How did you get in?" Hermione spoke up. "McGonagall sends out all the letters personally…there's no way your name would have been on the list…"

"Quite true," Jared nodded. "Devon Murrt did not exist up until a few months ago…but I needed everyone here to believe otherwise, so I enlisted the help of someone with free access to the school…Marshall Thurston."

"That rotten, no-good, dirty…" Sirius muttered angrily.

"I agree, Mr. Black," Jared laughed. "Marshall is not one to be trusted…but he's no threat to me, so I didn't mind repaying his generous favor. In exchange for him forging Devon's name on the list which McGonagall uses to send out school letters, as well as creating fake files for Devon and smuggling them into the file room…I agreed to help him become head minister. Surely his job was only made easier by the fact that Dumbledore had just resigned as headmaster, placing stress on Minerva, and somewhat of a confused state over the preparations for the new school year…so they didn't notice the slight changes he was making to their paperwork. As acting head minister, he had the access at the time, so it wasn't a problem."

"Who else did he manage to get into the school?" Harry asked. "We know there were three of you…you, Wormtail…who else?"

"You knew there were three of us, did you?" Jared asked, arching an eyebrow, looking mildly impressed. Harry only stared back at him, not bothering to tell him they'd only just found out this information earlier that night. "Devon's toad," Jared said at last. "Les…is not really a toad…" he trailed off, glancing at Oren briefly, and Harry understood at once. Oren was an Animagus…

"Oren wasn't so much for spying on you, as he was a messenger for me," Jared stated quickly. "Wormtail was watching you…he would report back to me, and if I thought it necessary, I would send Oren to Adrik and Lilith, with whatever news there might be."

"That's how they knew where I would be on Halloween, wasn't it?" Harry asked stiffly. "And when I was meeting Ron at the quidditch pitch…"

"Yes, it was imperative we kept close watch on you," Jared smirked. "I had to make sure the cult was following your trail, and not mine…that is why I had Adrik place the mark on your arm. It nearly ruined things, however, when your friends came to the school looking for you that night. You see, Dumbledore is the one wizard I had to be sure to stay away from, as he above anyone else, would recognize me for who I was in an instant. However, Wormtail was able to warn me of his presence…having been in your office when they looked there for you…and notified me immediately. It was easy enough to pretend I'd felt somewhat ill…after all, what child doesn't eat too much on Halloween? I was far from the common room by the time your friends got there…and they left soon after that one," he said nodding towards Ginny, "told them where you were."

"How lucky for you," Harry said, sardonically.

"Wasn't it?" Jared grinned. "It was all working out quite well, besides that and of course, after your near miss with the cult, that could have ruined everything…"

Harry only narrowed his eyes in confusion, as Jared continued quickly.

"In the muggle world, the cult will be able to find you in no time…and when you went there with your girlfriend…that is exactly what happened. Luckily, however, you had the crystals with you at that time…and were able to escape. I didn't count on you being able to use them later, however…when they came for you again at the quidditch pitch…which is why I had Oren steal them…you won't be able to call on them anymore…they are well shielded at the moment…"

"Why would my escaping that first time have been a problem?" Harry asked. "I thought you wanted them to…"

"Because it was too soon," Jared interrupted simply.

Harry glared hatefully at the wizard in front of him…this person who looked like Tom Riddle, and Jared only laughed back at him.

"You really did play along quite well," he said in amusement. "I was most relieved…"

"What about Hadley?" Hermione asked then. "Why were you after her?"

"Ah yes, that annoying, spoiled little girl," Jared said, rolling his eyes. "She is Leto's youngest descendent, of course…I simply planned on sending him a message…by means of her soulless body, after the dementor was through with her. You see, I plan on killing them all, eventually…every traitorous member of my family…"

"But Hadley has nothing to do with any of that!" Harry spat, angrily. "You can't blame her for your son's actions!"

"I don't blame her for them," Jared said simply. "I just hate her…I hate all of them…and I will kill them all, starting with the youngest. It always hurts parents so much more to see one of their children die…then one of their own parents…it makes them vulnerable, weak…"

"What about angry?" Sirius spoke up, crisply. "Enraged? Furious? Ready to kill whoever did this to their child…"

"Yes that's the best part," Jared smiled. "I look forward to witnessing them experience all of those emotions…and ultimately being able to do absolutely nothing to stop me from doing the exact same thing to them…"

"Then why did you never try for Hadley again?" Harry asked quickly. "The only attack on her was in October."

"After Adrik told me of your reaction in the forest, I decided to wait," Jared explained quickly, "it wasn't an urgent matter after all…just something I know I'll enjoy…and I wanted your mind to be on other things…not on figuring out who was after the girl. So as I had hoped, when nothing came of the attack, and enough time had passed, you didn't seem to be thinking much about it anymore…and thankfully, McGonagall wouldn't let you continue with those Patronus lessons during regular class time…"

"Yes, I noticed you were always uncomfortable during those," Harry stated stiffly.

"Of course," Jared laughed. "What eleven-year-old boy knows how to perform a Patronus, let alone being good at casting one? It took all of my concentration just to keep the charm from taking shape any time you made me do it…and I knew I couldn't cast it wrong, for then you'd only want to spend more time on it with me…it's in your nature. Once again, however, it worked out just fine, as you don't hold any distrust for Gryffindors…but you do for Slytherins, which you proved that day during the Ashwinder lesson. It was in your eyes, you blamed Hadley before you gave her a chance to explain…"

"But when she did explain she said she spoke to the snake," Harry said quickly. "She confessed."

"Yes, I know," Jared grinned. "I had actually gone around another way when I watched the two girls head out of the room we were in…I was going to make the snake attack…but Hadley beat me to it, competitive as she is. So I didn't have to interfere…and she was given detention, which is exactly what I needed."

"Why?" Harry asked, "What would you need her to have detention for?"

"It was the only way to assure she was out of her common room on a certain night as I don't have the password to just enter as I wish. Once Wormtail informed me of the night you'd assigned the detention, I had Oren go to Adrik so he could bring the dementors. Oren was also the one to use the Imperius curse on the girl…to make sure she left the school and into the forest. But you saw her…and so plans changed, but not for long. Once we find the girl, her fate will be just as it would have been on that night…"

Harry felt a surge of anger run through him, but it was mingled with faint relief. At least they hadn't found Hadley yet…

"And now you know everything, Harry," Jared grinned.

"Except why you took Mel," Harry quipped darkly, his hands balled into fists behind him as he glared angrily at the dark-haired man.

"You mean you haven't figured out what I need her for yet?" Jared asked, shaking his head in mock disappointment. Harry only stared back at him, hate gleaming in his deep green eyes…he feared he knew exactly what was about to be said…and he didn't want to hear it, but he had to. "Well I suppose I can spare a few more minutes," Jared continued as if he were doing Harry some fantastic favor. "I've already told you, I plan on leaving this mudblood's body," he said with undisguised revulsion, "and in order to take control of the crystals…I need to enter the body of a Psion. Since yours won't work, I've already tried…I'll have to settle for the next one in line…"

"Never!" Harry spat hatefully, "I'll never let you do it!"

"You can't stop me," Jared laughed heartlessly. "And as much as I'd love to let you see it, I can't…there's the small technicality of you needing to be dead first…"

Harry could barely stand the rage broiling inside him any longer, and at last jumped to his feet in anger, only to be grabbed seconds later by two of the death eaters. Apparently whatever uncertainties they might be having, they still knew whose side they were on.

"I'll kill you if you touch them," he said, fiercely, his voice shaking in anger, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried in vain to free his hands. He didn't care about his life right then…all he knew was that Jared was never going to get to his baby.

"Who?" Ron spoke up at last, looking questioningly from Harry to Jared and back. "Who's next in line?"

Harry tore his eyes from Jared's amused face to see the confusion plastered on Ron's.

"You haven't told them, I see," Jared stated cheerfully.

"It's not Mel, is it?" Ginny asked worriedly, seeing the pain and anger in Harry's eyes…and the fear.

"No," Hermione answered her before anyone could speak, realization dawning in her eyes. "It's the baby…isn't it?" she whispered, her gaze locking with Harry's for only seconds before he nodded stiffly, sadly.

Sirius' expression immediately went to one of shock, and rage, as he also, flew from his seat.

"You spineless bast-"

"Now, now, Mr. Black," Jared interrupted as Lucius readily grabbed hold of Sirius. "No need for name calling. Try to see the brighter side of things…you'll all be dying on the same day…so you won't be separated for long…"

As Harry and Sirius were forced back into their seats, Jared paused a moment, before speaking again.

"That was the only part of this plan that was uncertain, to start," he explained quickly. "I knew I needed Mel's child, as Tom had already done that research for me when he finally studied the bloodlines…and until you so graciously took care of the obstacle for me, I was also looking for a suitable father…"  
Harry could feel the anger churning in his gut as he heard what Jared was saying. He would have forced someone upon Mel…just to carry out his plan…"

"It could never have been myself, of course," Jared said quickly. "Not with this mudblood body, anyway. But it had to be someone powerful and someone who shared my blood…so, of course, when I heard the news…I was delighted to learn that a Psion would father the next in line. So long as you're dead before the child is born, it will inherit all of the powers…"

"You're mad," Ron said disgustedly, looking horrified at what he was hearing.

"Say what you like," Jared laughed. "Soon I will be the most powerful being in existence…and you will be dead."

"But…the baby won't be born for months…" Ginny said worriedly, a glimmer of hope in her statement.

"As I said before," Jared began quickly. "That will change. The baby will be born much sooner than expected. As soon as I leave this body, I will enter that of the unborn child. There will be no problem in taking over such an undeveloped mind, of course…and once I have control, I'll simply speed up the birthing process…" he trailed off, grinning. "The crystals will be mine to control, for when the baby is born, I will be reborn…and they will obey the bloodlines."

Harry struggled to keep the panic threatening to consume him down. He had to stop Jared…he had to find Mel…but at the moment, he could see no way out of the current situation. His friends all seemed to have identically hopeless expressions on their faces, while Jared looked down on them, triumph gleaming in his eyes. Harry glanced away towards the death eaters standing near Lucius, and then quickly to Draco, who was still lying, barely conscious, against the cushions of the couch. The blood on his head was mostly dried now, caked sickeningly against his pale skin, and Harry could only hope he wasn't seriously injured from whatever had caused the wound.

Everyone looked up as the door to the office opened then, and two more men in ministry robes stalked quickly across the room, no doubt, more death eaters in disguise. They moved quickly towards Adrik, glancing questioningly at Jared as they did so, and the three conversed in hushed tones. After only a moment, Adrik stepped away from the two men, who turned and silently crossed the office, exiting into the stairway beyond, and began whispering to Jared, who seemed to go slightly pale, but they were near enough to Harry so he caught some of their discussion.

"Then we can't wait any longer," Jared said fiercely, to which Adrik only nodded. "Kill his friends, and then leave him…they'll find him soon enough."

Harry could feel his heart racing in his chest, pulsing fear through his veins. He couldn't let them hurt his friends.

"I have to get downstairs…"

"You can't go alone, Jared," Adrik said quickly. "They'll find you."

Jared seemed to consider this for a moment, before looking immediately to Lilith and Oren.

"We're going," he stated crisply, "now." Then he spun around to face Lucius and the other death eaters. "Get rid of the others, however you want," he said, motioning to Harry's friends. "Make sure he's alive though…he needs to be alive."

Despair and fear were mingling in his gut, but Harry forced it down…he knew why Jared was so frightened all of a sudden. There could only be one reason for his abrupt change in behavior.

"The Shadow Walkers are here, aren't they?" Harry asked quietly, almost tauntingly.

Jared whirled on him angrily, but seemed to bring his emotions under control in an instant, forcing a smile to his face.

"It's possible," he said quickly. "But it won't matter. It will still take them a while to sort out all the scents in this castle…and while I shall be surrounded by others…you, I'm afraid, will be alone in a moment…"

Harry looked worriedly over his friends, all of whom looked at a loss for what to do, but were determinedly trying to free themselves, before looking back to Jared.

"Just let them go, they're not a part of this," he said, trying to mask the desperation in his voice as he twisted his wrists against the cords.

"I've already told you why I can't do that," Jared said, in a mockingly apologetic tone, before looking away from Harry, towards Lucius. "Make sure it is done, I'm counting on you for this."

"Do not worry, my lord," Lucius replied, bowing his head faintly. "I give you my word."

Adrik snickered lightly at that, earning a dark glare from Lucius, but said nothing, as Jared turned away from the death eaters and went to Lilith. He spoke to her for only seconds, before she then went towards the Skeins who were still perched in the windows to the office.

It was less than a minute before the tall spider-like women jumped from their places at once, and swept across the office towards the door, exiting the office silently. Harry stared after them worriedly, wondering what Lilith had told them to do, before Jared's voice snapped his attention back around.

"Let's go," he said stiffly, looking distinctly nervous, "I don't want to wait any longer."

Harry watched as Jared stalked resolutely across the office, Adrik, Lilith and Oren following closely behind. Without so much as a backwards glance towards the captive friends, they exited the room, letting the door shut firmly behind them.

Trying to think, as panic was closing in around him, Harry forced his mind to clear. They were out of time, and only Draco's hands were free…but he was didn't look as if he'd be any help at the moment. There had to be a way out of this…it couldn't end this way…

"It's really a shame we don't get to kill you Potter," Lucius spoke up, a hint of regret in his tone. "I've always wanted to…"

"But you never could manage it, could you?" Sirius asked, tauntingly, glaring as Lucius whirled on him.

"Maybe we should start with you, ey Black?" Lucius sneered hatefully. "I always knew I'd be the one to kill you."

Harry watched in horror as Lucius slowly drew his wand and aimed it at his godfather, who only stared back at the death eater with stony hatred. He felt the dread tightening in his throat, and again pushed himself up off the seat, but before he could take half a step towards Lucius, one of the other death eaters that had remained near him after his last outburst, quickly forced him back down onto the chair.

Lucius snickered tauntingly at Harry's feeble attempt, his eyes gleaming with amusement before he looked around at the other three death eaters.

"Take care of the others," he said briskly. "Leave my son for me…let's do this quickly.

"No!" Harry cried, frantically pulling at his bonds, ready to jump up again…he wasn't going to quit. But his limited movement was causing him to be awkward and slow, and Lucius turned his wand on Harry at once.

Harry felt an invisible force pushing him back into the chair seconds before his legs were bound tightly together.

"Now maybe you'll stay put," Lucius remarked curtly, turning back to Sirius, ignoring Harry as he began to furiously struggle against the cords. He glanced around to see one of the death eaters wrenching Hermione to her feet while another did the same to Ginny, and the third was making his way towards Ron, who was looking helplessly towards his girlfriend and sister. Harry's breath caught in his throat…this was it…

"Petrificus Totalis!" a small, frightened voice cried out through the office. Everyone froze in the split second before Lucius' form went stiff, and fell quickly to the hard floor. Harry looked in shock, seeing Hadley's scared face staring back at him from just near the doorway he knew led to the back rooms of the office. He had no time to wonder how she'd gotten there however, as the other death eaters reacted immediately. One moved towards Lucius, as another started towards Hadley, who backed up slowly towards the door, her eyes wide with fear.

"Hadley," Harry cried anxiously, realizing with horror that she wasn't going to move. "Go, you have to get out!"

But the small girl didn't respond. Her wand was held out protectively in front of her, but she didn't budge as the death eater moved closer, smiling as he realized she would no longer be a problem.

Harry could only watch helplessly, barely noticing as the second death eater passed by in front of him, pointing his wand towards Lucius, when a sudden movement from beside him caught his attention.

Draco's hand shot out, grabbing the death eater's right arm, and before the older man could react, the young wizard swung out instantly with his legs as well, kicking the death eater in the shins and bringing him to his knees, as he plucked the wand from the man's grasp.

"I thought you were hurt," Harry said in relieved amazement as Draco immediately used the wand to release him from the bonds.

"Yeah, I've always been good at faking injuries," Draco said briskly, a look of determination on his face as he swung the wand towards the shocked death eater still near Ron, and disarmed him. He caught the wand in a second, and shoved it towards Harry, who used it to stun the guard at their feet that was staggering back up, before turning on the death eater near Hadley. He had the little girl's right arm grasped tightly in his hand, having taken her wand, and now thrust her in front of him, pointing his own wand at her from behind.

"Let her go," Harry said fiercely, both he and Draco aiming their wands directly at the man.

"Drop your wands," the man replied, briskly, "or I'll kill her."

"Not if we kill you first," Draco said icily, his grey eyes flashing dangerously.

Harry glanced down to see Hadley staring up at him fearfully; faint tears streaked the sides of her face as she whimpered softly, and realized he wasn't going to stop Draco this time…if that's what it came to.

The man only lowered himself so Hadley blocked more of him than before, which wasn't saying much, as she was so small, but it was enough to keep Harry from trying anything; it was too close, they could easily hit Hadley instead.

"You coward," Harry spat under his breath.

"I said drop your wands," the man replied instantly, "No funny stuff…if you try anything, she dies."

What happened next took only seconds, but it seemed much longer as Harry watched it play out.

The flames in the hearth rose up suddenly, and both Harry and Draco glanced to see who was coming, recognizing it as a floo channel in use, but were relieved to see Marzia emerge only seconds later. The death eater took advantage of this, however, as both wizards were momentarily distracted, he shifted his wand in half a second to Lucius' stiff form, releasing him from the body bind.

Marzia saw with obvious urgency, what was happening, as she immediately pulled out her own wand. She aimed at the death eater holding Hadley, who instantly ducked down behind his captive, tightening his grip on the small girl, while Lucius surged to his feet, in the same second that both Harry and Draco whirled on him, the wands of all three facing each other at once.

"Careful," Lucius spat sharply, seeing both Harry and Draco open their mouths. "If I go down, so does that little girl over there," he smiled wickedly, slowly backing away from the two younger wizards.

"If you hurt her, you're done," Harry said evenly. "You realize that, don't you?"

"I don't intend on hurting the poor girl," Lucius grinned sweetly. "So long as you all place your wands on the floor now, everything will work out fine…"

"Not a chance," Draco snapped, and Lucius' eyes flashed with fury.

"You do not speak to me," he spat angrily at his son. "You're not worth the air you breathe!"

Draco only remained silent, a stony expression on his face, but Harry knew his father's words still hurt him, no matter how much time passed, that would always remain the same.

"You're outnumbered," Marzia stated stiffly from where she stood near the hearth. "There's no way for you to win this."

"Is that so?" Lucius laughed, his eyes fixed on Marzia one minute, as he slipped his hand into his pocket.

"Hey!" Draco shouted, seeing what his father was doing but too late, as Lucius quickly flung his hand out and upward. Harry recognized the shape of a wand twirling for a half a second through the air, only seconds before the death eater whom Draco had disarmed caught it tightly. Harry could see, even at the distance he stood, it was Draco's wand.

"Now we're even," Lucius grinned.

"And at a standstill," Sirius spoke up crisply, struggling to free his hands, just as the others were doing.

"I'm afraid not, Black," Lucius sneered, bringing his wand around to point at Sirius' chest.

"No!" Marzia yelled, and Harry felt his breath catch in his throat. Here he was less than five feet from Lucius, and he couldn't do anything…without chancing another of his friends being hurt…

"Careful Potter," Lucius smirked. "If you touch me, the girl dies…"

"I won't let you kill my friends," Harry shot back fiercely, tightening the grip on his wand.

"I don't think you have a choice," Lucius grinned. "You can't save them all, Potter…" he trailed off, whirling back around on Sirius.

"Stupefy!" Draco yelled, and the curse surged forth from his wand. But Lucius had been expecting as much, and had begun to duck before the words even left his son's mouth, hitting his knees as the curse flew by harmlessly overhead. Marzia took immediate advantage of the moment, and stunned the death eater standing near Ron, before quickly freeing the young wizard from his bonds.

"Kill her!" Lucius spat hatefully, nodding at the guard holding Hadley, clearly enraged as he immediately jumped to his feet, and whirled on his son.

"No!" Harry yelled, feeling his stomach turn sickeningly. He raised his wand knowing he had no other choice, but he had no chance at getting in a shot, the man was halfway hidden behind Hadley and a chair…

"You shouldn't have done that," Lucius spat, advancing on Draco, not paying any attention to Harry as he did so. "I wanted to believe you could change…be the man you used to be…"

"You're the one who's not a man anymore, father," Draco shot back shakily, keeping his wand up unsteadily.

"And you're nothing to me now," Lucius shot back, directing his own wand straight at his son's head. "Good bye traitor."

Harry saw the death eater holding Hadley, pinning her arms to her sides as she struggled desperately to free herself.

"Don't come any closer!" he yelled, as Harry and Marzia began closing in from either side. Ron, meanwhile, had gone at once to Hermione's side, freeing her from the bonds and leaving her to do the same to Ginny as he crossed to Sirius.

"If you want to live, you'd best release her," Marzia said crisply, smirking at the fear in the man's eyes. "Because if she dies…"

The man looked terrified, but didn't release his grip on Hadley, instead he lit his wand, his eyes flashing madly as smoke emitted from the now white-hot tip, and raised it towards Hadley's eyes.

"Then I won't kill her," the man laughed, a mixture of nervousness and triumph in his voice as Hadley shrieked in fear, squirming in his grip as tears streamed down her face. "Now get back!" he yelled, glancing from Harry to Marzia.

Draco stared at his father unmoving, knowing full well that Lucius meant to kill him, and wondered if it would really be so bad. He had no one now, after all…no real friends, no family. His mother barely spoke a word to him anymore, and now his father was going to end his life for what Draco had done to him…

Lucius smirked heartlessly, tightening the grip on his wand, his eyes flashing with pure hatred, before speaking.

"Avada-"

He was cut off harshly as a dark blur lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. Draco stepped back in surprise, seeing Sirius Black wrestling with his father, trying to gain control of the wand that Lucius clung to. He quickly snapped back to attention, aiming his own wand down, but the two were moving too quickly, and he couldn't aim properly.

Letting out a furious scream, Lucius finally brought up his knee, ending Sirius' struggle long enough for him to overpower the unarmed wizard. Pushing Sirius to the floor, Lucius scrambled to his feet, not noticing Draco's aim following him, and brought his wand tip around to Sirius' chest, smiling for a brief second as the injured man tried to catch his breath through his violent coughing.

"I told you I'd be the one to kill you, Black," Lucius sneered hatefully.

Sirius tried to scramble to his feet, but he was moving too slow…

"Avada Kedavra!"

There was a searing flash of bright green light, and Harry froze in terror, turning quickly.

Sirius reached out, breathing deeply, and grasped hold of the chair nearest him, pulling himself the rest of the way to his feet, just as Draco's wand slipped from his hand, as he sunk down to the floor, beside his father's lifeless form.

Harry felt his jaw drop in shock, the scene before him barely registering in his mind…but quickly turned his attention back to Hadley as he heard her cries again.

"That's going to be you next," Marzia's voice spoke up evenly, as the death eater looked away from Lucius' body. "Unless you let her go…"

The man seemed to consider for a moment, sweat building up on his brow as he tightened the slick grip on his wand. But after just a moment, realization seemed to dawn in his eyes. Two death eaters were unconscious, and the third was now dead…he had no chance to get out of this…

Slowly, cautiously, he moved the wand away from Hadley, and reluctantly released his grip on her. She wasted no time and ran towards Harry at once, while Marzia disarmed the death eater.

Throwing her arms around Harry's neck as he knelt to meet her, Hadley began to sob loudly.

"It's alright," Harry cooed gently, holding the small girl tightly. "You're safe now."

"I…I'm s-sorry," she stammered unevenly, sniffling softly as she pulled away, looking up at him. "I just…I got s-scared…I c-couldn't shoot again…" she tried to explain.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Harry said gently, smoothing her hair and wiping away the tears still building up in her eyes.

"I…I only came up here to see the headmistress," Hadley continued, her voice still shaking. "I had to tell her…I knew Devon was lying…but I didn't know about what…I tried to tell you…" she trailed off, starting to cry again.

Harry suddenly remembered seeing Hadley in the hallway with Devon…she said she'd needed to speak with him, but he'd been in such a rush to get to McGonagall…he'd brushed her off…

"I'm sorry," Harry said quietly, feeling only guilt. "I should have listened to you."

"It…it's alright," Hadley said quietly. "I started to tell Professor McGonagall…but she made me stop before I could finish telling her…told me to wait back there," she nodded towards the door to the back rooms. "I heard someone come into the office after I got back there…it sounded like a fight, but I was too scared to look…"

"You've been back there this entire time?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Yes," Hadley nodded faintly, and Harry couldn't help but grin. Here the school was filled with death eaters searching for her…and she'd been in the same office with them for over two hours…

"You were very brave to do what you did," Harry spoke up again, seeing the young girl's eyes start to fill up again. "You saved our lives Hadley."

To this Hadley seemed unsure how to reply, as she looked uncertainly up at Harry, who smiled back at her.

"C'mon," he said, getting to his feet slowly and gently taking her hand, "You should sit down…" he trailed off, finally getting a good look around the office. Marzia had stunned the last death eater, and all three had been moved off to the side of the office, tied up in case they woke. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had retrieved the loose wands, while Sirius was sitting awkwardly by Draco, both of them silent.

Harry led Hadley to one of the large chairs, before going to Draco's side and kneeling down.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Don't lie," Draco shot back stiffly. "I know you're glad…all of you. You've all wanted my father dead at one point or another…but ironically…I was the one to finally kill him."

"Draco," Harry began gently, not sure what he could possibly say to comfort him.

"Look, forget it," Draco said curtly, jumping to his feet as he scooped up his wand. "We have to get downstairs, don't we? I'd wager anything Lilith sent those spider things off to kill the other professors while Jared and the rest continued on to wherever they were going…"

"Wait," Hermione said quickly, as she and the others came up behind Sirius, noticing Draco looked ready to just go. "What about Dumbledore? We have to tell someone…even if Jared isn't sending someone after him, you know Thurston will!"

"She's right," Sirius said quickly, standing as Marzia neared him, letting her slip her arms around him. She looked intensely relieved, and Harry knew why…he felt exactly the same. For a brief, terrifying moment, he'd believed Sirius was dead…

"Then we have to split up," Harry said suddenly, standing as well.

"What? No!" Sirius stated sharply.

"Sirius, we have to," Harry argued determinedly, feeling angry because he knew they didn't have the time…

"Harry's right," Draco said quickly. "We can't get to the professors and Dumbledore if we stay together…"

"And Mel," Harry added pointedly. "I'm not going anywhere until I find Jared…"

"He said he needed to get downstairs," Hermione said quickly. "Harry, you don't think…could Mel be in the school?"

"I don't know," Harry replied curtly, feeling the anxiety churning within him once again. "But I do know Jared's got a head start…and if Mel is here, then I have to get downstairs right now."

"Then we'll all go," Sirius said evenly.

"Sirius, Albus could be dead by then!" Harry said in exasperation, "If he isn't already! You have to be the one to help him…you and Marzia…the warden would never let me in…or any of the rest of us for that matter…"

"We could find Arthur," Marzia spoke up then. "He has authorization for immediate access to Nabakza…and Albus."

Sirius turned to look at her, seeming torn.

"Sirius," Harry began, almost pleading with his eyes as his godfather met his gaze, trying not to burst from impatience…he had to go now.

"Alright," Sirius said at last, looking as if it was the last thing he wanted to say. "Marzia and I will get to Albus…but we're coming straight back here when we're done," he added pointedly.

"Good," Harry grinned weakly, knowing the task before his godfather would more than likely be a difficult one, that wouldn't be over and done with quickly. "See you then." He started to look away, when his eyes quickly fell on Hadley, sitting quietly in the chair he'd left her on, and realized he had another problem.

"We have to get Hadley out of the school," he said suddenly.

"Why?" Draco asked.

"Because…" Harry began urgently, "I'm not…I can't…" he stammered, pausing half a second to calm down, before continuing, his tone grave. "Jared is not going to take my child…I don't care what it takes, I'm going to stop him. But I also don't want this to happen all over again. Hadley's his descendant…if his plan fails…he's going to do whatever it takes to survive."

"He'll try to enter her mind instead," Hermione said, realizing in horror, what Harry was saying.

"Yes," Harry nodded, worriedly.

"Then let's take her to our house," Marzia said at once. "We can get there from this office."

"Good," Harry said, feeling slightly relieved, but still not sure it would be far enough away.

"No, I don't want to go," Hadley said looking suddenly scared, her fingers gripping the arms of the chair. "Can't I stay with you?" she asked Harry, pleadingly.

"I'm sorry," Harry said sincerely, "But it's too dangerous to bring you with us…you'll be safer out of the school…" he trailed off as she shook her head stubbornly.

"No…please," Hadley said in a small voice. "I don't want to be alone…"

"Ginny can go with her," Ron spoke up quickly.

"Hey!" Ginny cried in shock. "You're going to need help downstairs…" she began.

"No Ginny," Harry cut her off, a bit sharper than he'd intended, but didn't stop. "You're not coming downstairs…I was going to have you go back to the common room…but I'd rather not leave Hadley alone."

"But," Ginny began again, ready to argue…and trailing off as she saw the stubborn gaze in Harry's eyes. "Fine," she sighed quietly. But as she crossed to Hadley, she gave the young girl a reassuring smile, taking her by the hand.

"Thank you," Harry said quickly.

"Hermione," Ron began, cautiously. "Maybe you should…"

"Forget it Ron," she cut him off at once. "I'm not staying out of this fight. We're outnumbered as it is…"

"She's got a point, Weasley," Draco smirked, earning a dark glare from Ron.

"C'mon," Hermione said then, turning towards the door. "We're wasting time."

"Wait," Harry said quickly, continuing as his friends looked at him curiously, "I know a faster way down."

After making sure Ginny and Hadley made it safely through the floo network, Harry wished his godfather and Marzia luck…knowing they would need it. Sirius, warned them to be careful, before reluctantly joining his wife at the hearth, and heading off in the swirls of color.

"This way," Harry said quickly, leading the others towards the hidden wall, which slid aside, revealing the kitchen. He paid no attention to his friends' questioning looks, as he walked back through the first room, past several more, and into the sleeping quarters beyond.

Stopping for a moment, Harry looked around, trying to remember which candle it was, before finally spotting the one he was looking for. He went up to it and twisted the bottom of the candleholder, revealing a secret doorway as the wall slid aside before them, into darkness.

"Remus showed me this," Harry explained quickly. "It goes anywhere in the school…it's probably the quickest route to downstairs…we won't have to worry about running into anything…I hope."

The four stepped into the dark hall one at a time, and Hermione lit the wand she was holding first, shining it down the dim corridor.

"Do you know the way?" she asked, realizing there were many passageways branching off the further you went.

Harry was silent for a long moment. He'd only ever used this passage to get to the hospital wing…but when they'd first entered, it had been from beginning of the dungeon area. Finally he looked at Hermione and shrugged faintly.

"Let's find out," he said quickly, before lighting his own wand and starting down the hall.

"That's not exactly very reassuring, Harry," Ron said hesitantly, as he moved to catch up with his friend, Draco and Hermione following closely behind.

"It's better than using the school halls," Harry replied quickly, looking for any signs of familiarity in the tunnel, and praying he was making the right choice.

"Well at least we know our way around the school," Draco spoke up from behind him.

"You can go back that way if you want," Harry said evenly. "If you want to fight your way through the corridors, outnumbered and surrounded…and then should you make it downstairs, you'll be too tired to fight anymore, which means…"

"Alright, alright," Draco cut him off, sounding mildly exasperated, and Harry could almost feel him rolling his eyes. "Just don't get us lost, Potter…"


	16. Chapter 16

At first, Harry started to think he'd definitely made the wrong choice. Nothing looked familiar. They passed very few candles, each indicating a doorway to another room, but Harry had no idea which rooms they were.

They had been walking nearly ten minutes when Harry finally decided they should turn around while it was still possible to find their way back…but suddenly, they came to a split in the passage…and that was all it took.

"This way," he said quickly, indicating the left corridor. The small group quickly made their way down into the darkness, and for Harry, it was as if a light had been turned on. The tunnel at last looked familiar…despite his only having been in it once before…moving in the opposite direction, no less.

The four walked in silence, Harry leading the way down through the twists and turns of the passageway, all consumed in their own thoughts. The only thing on Harry's mind right now, however, was Mel…and the baby. His gut twisted with sick and worry every time he thought on what Jared's plan was…and could only pray he would arrive in time. He had no idea what he'd do to stop the older wizard…but it didn't matter, if it cost him his life, his child would not come to harm…

"Do you hear that?" Draco's voice broke through his thoughts then. Harry glanced back over his shoulder as they walked, listening.

"Hear what?" he asked after a minute.

"The sound of Malfoy being paranoid," Ron spoke up, sarcastically.

Draco opened his mouth to reply, looking suddenly irritated, when Hermione spoke first.

"No," she said, a sense of urgency in her tone. "Listen…I hear it too."

The four came to a cautious stop in the middle of the dark tunnel and Harry strained in the silence…until finally a very faint sound reached his ears. It sounded like footsteps…but there was something off about them, he couldn't tell what…but he didn't want to find out in this narrow, dark passageway.

"Hurry," he whispered abruptly, motioning his friends to move. No one argued, and the four set off at a much quicker pace than they'd previously been going. Harry knew it wasn't far…he knew they were almost there…and kept glancing almost anxiously at walls…searching for the right candle.

The sounds from behind them were growing closer now…it was definitely following them, whatever it was…and closing the distance with amazing speed.

"How much further?" Ron asked quickly, the same alarm which Harry felt coming across in his tone.

"Shouldn't be too far…" Harry began, trailing off as he finally spotted it. The candle which opened into the dungeon area, it was less than 20 feet away. "There!" he said, pointing to it as he quickened his pace at once…but no sooner had he done this, then an abrupt chill momentarily turned his veins to ice, caused him to shudder involuntarily.

"Cold down here," Draco remarked briskly, and Harry glanced back at him quickly. They'd both felt it at the same time? But a gasp from Hermione caused Harry to spin back around at once, feeling his heart begin to race in his chest.

"Wormtail," Ron spat angrily, and Harry's gaze swept up the corridor to see the silvery hovering form of Peter Pettigrew just near the candle he'd pointed out seconds ago. Wormtail instantly looked up at the mention of his name, but barely spared the small group half a glance before gliding silently through the wall and into the hallway beyond.

"He's going to tell them we're here," Draco said worriedly, as they all came to a hesitant stop.

"I think they already know," Hermione said apprehensively, glancing back up the dark passageway. The noise was much closer now.

"We can't leave this way then," Harry said suddenly, "we have to use another door…Wormtail must've been following us, staying invisible, he waited until I pointed out the candle before passing by…Draco and I both felt him. He'll tell the other death eaters exactly which door we'll be using and it'll only make it easier for them to find us…"

"But Harry you don't know where any of the other doors lead do you?" Hermione asked hastily. "We don't even know if this corridor goes on much further…what if this is our last chance to get out?"

Harry paused half a second…the hurried noises now sounding as if they were barreling down the corridor.

"Let's go," he said at once, still not sure he wanted to use the candle he'd originally intended on. But as they reached it, the loud noise came to an abrupt halt, and as Harry glanced back up the hallway, he felt his stomach flip.

There were Skeins in the tunnel…at least half a dozen of them, their white eyes piercing frighteningly through the darkness. None of them were using their human legs…they'd somehow managed to contort the lower half of their bodies, bending their legs unnaturally up under them, and instead used the spider-legs protruding from their backs…it obviously made them move much faster.

The group of spider-like women paused when they caught sight of the four friends, their arms still visible and their long, matted hair hanging limply down the sides of their faces…before surging forward in a terrifying charge. And that was all it took for Ron to panic.

Before Harry could do anything, hearing his friend's breathing quicken in terror, Ron had lunged for the candleholder and gave it a desperate twist. The wall slid aside as if in slow motion and Harry took in the sight before him in horror, before he was forced forward through the opening, as Ron pushed past him to get out of the tunnel. Hermione and Draco jumped through only seconds later; not having much choice as the Skeins in the tunnel had caught up to the door, but the four friends were now at the end…there was nowhere left to go.

There were a few more Skeins out here, as well as death eaters…slowly forming a semi-circle around the friends. However, Harry's eyes were fixed on someone else…as her inverted eyes stared coldly back at him, a small wicked smile on her lips, Lilith came forward from between her servants.

For a moment, there was only tense silence. The four friends all had their wands drawn, but were far outnumbered… Harry glanced around anxiously; dread building in the pit of his stomach. They were entirely surrounded, all the death eaters' wands were out and aimed at them…he didn't see a way past this….

"I knew Lucius would never be able to handle such a simple chore," Lilith spoke slowly, icily, before glancing sideways to see Wormtail hovering a few feet away. "Good work, Wormtail."

Harry understood in that moment. Jared hadn't fully trusted Lucius to his task, and had left Wormtail behind as a spy. They would know everything now…where Sirius and Marzia were going…where Hadley was…

"Harry," Lilith began again, her eyes narrowing as she turned back to face him. For half a second, the hint of electricity was in the air, when suddenly Harry felt something gripping him, though he could not see what it was. He heard his friends' shocked cries, but he was ripped away from the group, feeling his wand torn from his grasp as he fought to stop the movement.

It was no use, however; Lilith's fingers closed painfully over his neck as he came to a sharp halt before her and was forced to his knees.

"Let him go!" Ron shouted angrily, aiming his wand at Lilith, as Harry's hands flew to his neck, trying to loosen her grasp, which was slowly tightening, while sweat began to trickle down into his eyes. Lilith glanced up at Ron, and a look of hatred passed over her face in a flash, before she smiled emotionlessly.

"Fine," she replied curtly, and in the next instant Harry felt her hold on his neck loosen, a split second before he was flung backwards, his feet lifting from the floor for a brief moment. But as he touched ground again, barely having gone five feet and feeling his knees buckle beneath him, Harry felt two death eaters grip his arms at once, forcing him upright.

"Take him upstairs," Lilith said hastily. "I don't care where you put him just make sure he can't get out."

"No!" Ron and Hermione shouted in unison, but with a faint movement of her hand, their wands were ripped from their grasps, along with Draco's.

"You still want the Shadow Walkers to find me, right?" Harry asked fiercely, struggling against the ones holding him. "Am I too close to Jared…is that it?"

Lilith glared at him for a half a second before looking again to the death eaters.

"I said go," she hissed darkly. "Get him out of here."

Harry did all he could to free himself, trying to twist his arms free as the death eaters began to drag him back up the hall, but glanced around sharply, looking over his shoulder as he heard Hermione's cries, feeling his blood run cold.

Lilith wasted no time, and was now pulling Ron's struggling form forward in an invisible grasp, taking him by the neck as well, as several death eaters grabbed Hermione and Draco, holding them in place.

"Time to repay you for taking one of my children," Lilith hissed maliciously, lifting Ron into the air as he thrashed, clawing at her hand. She glanced sideways then and two of the Skeins began to move forward.

Harry couldn't stand to do nothing as his friends were killed. He was breathing quickly, his heartbeat echoing in his ears, and he continued to try to free himself of the death eaters' grasp…they were nearly all the way up the hall now, the sounds of struggling from behind him following him up the corridor…soon his friends would be out of sight.

Suddenly the death eaters stopped moving, and Harry glanced up, curiously.

"Did you see that?" the one to his right asked quietly. Harry looked to see him staring at the wall just a few feet ahead of them.

"It was probably nothing," the other replied a little too quickly. "Come on, you heard Lilith…we have to get this one upstairs," he said, glancing at Harry before tightening the grip on his arm and starting forward again. The first death eater nodded faintly, looking unconvinced, but moved forward anyway.

Harry glanced helplessly back towards his friends, still barely hearing their cries…but couldn't make them out through the Skeins and other death eaters. His heart sank…there was nothing he could do…

Without warning, Harry felt the death eaters' hold on him torn away, barely having time to register the pain of something slamming into his stomach, before it knocked him to the ground.

"Found you," a menacing voice hissed close to his face, and Harry looked up through the haze that was his vision, to see a Shadow Walker, whose face he didn't recognize as it phased in and out, only inches from his face. He tried to move…while gasping to catch his breath, but was pinned to the ground by long tendrils of the shadowy being, who was hunched over him. The death eaters merely stood back, watching with interest.

"W-wait," he coughed out roughly as the shadow raised its hands. They were so close to Jared…he had to make him realize this. "Please…"

"Not this time," the voice replied. Harry could do nothing as the shadow placed its hands over his heart, and he felt a sharp, agonizing pull. He didn't hear himself cry out…didn't know what was happening as his eyes rolled up into his head and his back arched up off the floor from the power the creature was using.

Harry could feel his heart clearly now…it had been beating so rapidly before, but now it was slowing down…more than it should be. He struggled weakly against the Shadow Walker…but he was no match for it in this state. It was becoming increasingly hard to breathe, it felt like the walls were closing in…it was so hot, sweat was stinging his eyes, his throat was dry…and black spots began to cloud his vision, as he started to lose consciousness…

Suddenly, Harry felt as if something had punched him in the gut. His back hit the floor hard, and he winced in pain…but his heartbeat began to quicken… Blinking slowly, Harry was glad to feel he could move again, as he shakily pushed himself up off the ground…

"Are you alright?" an anxious voice asked, and Harry looked up to see Troy's face staring back at him. He glanced immediately to where the two death eaters had been standing, seeing they were lying still on the floor. "I stopped him," Troy continued, explaining. "They thought you were…"

"Troy," Harry interrupted, his voice coming out as a raspy whisper. "Ron…the others…Lilith is going to kill them…we…we have to…" he trailed off, pointing up the hall hopelessly…it looked so far away, and he felt so weak. Troy glanced up quickly, before jumping to his feet and spinning around to face four Shadow Walkers whom Harry only just realized were standing there. He couldn't see any of their faces at the moment, but it didn't matter, so long as they stayed away from him…  
"You heard him," Troy stated evenly. "Go."

Harry watched, amazed, as the shadows obeyed him. In the space of seconds, they splashed against the stone wall, before racing up the corridor towards the large group.

"What…what will they…?" Harry began, worriedly. There were only four of them, and his friends were at stake…

"They'll take care of it," Troy interrupted gently, kneeling down beside Harry. "I'm really sorry…David got ahead of me…"

"David?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing.

"The one who attacked you," Troy replied quickly, apologetically. He took hold of Harry's right hand then, and in half a second, Harry felt a warmth spreading through him…moving slowly…but healing him from whatever the shadow had tried to do. "I told them that their might be two people with the same scent…but they're anxious to get to Jared now and…"

"He's here," Harry said urgently. "He's somewhere down here, I don't know exactly where but…"

"We know," Troy cut in, "But we just when we thought we had him…the scent was gone…the Orb is here too, so are the crystals."

"What?" Harry replied, his eyes going wide. "What do you mean gone? And if the Orb is here…then that's great, isn't it? You can get it and the cult can get all their powers back and…"

"No, we can't," Troy said darkly, his eyes flashing with anger. "None of us can actually get to the Orb…they have a barrier around it."

"Can't…can't it be broken?" Harry asked slowly, seeing Troy avert his eyes a little too quickly.

Before Troy could answer, however, the loud sounds of screaming and shouting made their way up the hall.

"We have to get down there," Harry said uneasily, his stomach flipping slowly in his gut. "They need help…"

Troy only grinned back at him.

"That's not my friends screaming," he stated evenly. "And it's not yours either."

Harry glanced up at him, not sure if he should be horrified or not. He let his eyes fall again on the two death eaters a few feet away…he'd assumed a few moments ago, that they'd been stunned.

"They're dead, aren't they?" he asked, looking at the lifeless bodies. He could see now, their eyes were open.

"Yes," Troy replied evenly. Harry made no reply, but felt a sudden jolt run through him, only not a painful one, as Troy finally pulled his hand away.

"Better?" he asked, and Harry realized, gratefully, it actually was. He felt better, physically, than he had all day.

"Thank you," Harry replied sincerely, taking Troy's extended hand and getting quickly to his feet. It took only one glance up the hall, where there was no longer a great deal of noise, before he started up it, worried and hopeful. In seconds he was at a dead run, praying his friends were alright…praying it hadn't been too long…

As he neared the spot, Harry skidded to an abrupt halt near two more bodies…death eaters…sprawled on the floor. Feeling his stomach knot as Troy came up beside him, Harry glanced around to see more…death eaters and Skeins alike, littering the floor around them. He didn't want to see this…but he had to look…he had to make sure none of them were his friends…

"Harry!" Draco's voice called out and Harry glanced up to the pale wizard, standing a short distance up the hall, only a few feet from where Ron and Hermione still sat on the ground. At first Harry was relieved, until the image sharpened in his mind.

Ron was cradling Hermione in his arms. She looked very pale…her eyes were closed…though it looked like she'd been crying, and there was blood soaking her shirt.

"What happened?" Harry cried fearfully, rushing to her side and dropping to his knees. There were loose cords on the floor, and a cloth around Hermione's neck…which Harry realized had been used to gag her.

"I'm going to kill her," Ron spat hatefully, faint tears streaking his face as he held Hermione's shallowly breathing form close to him. Harry could also see dark bruises beginning to show on his best friend's neck

Harry looked back down, seeing Hermione's tear-filled eyes flutter open just barely; a small smile touched her lips when she focused on Harry…but as she tried to talk, nothing would come out, and she began to cough, roughly.

"Shhh, don't…just rest," Harry spoke gently, smiling reassuringly down at his friend…feeling his heart tearing just seeing her like this. When the fit subsided, he looked up at Ron.

"What happened?" he asked again.

"Lilith," Ron whispered sharply, his tone dripping with venom.

Someone came quietly up beside them then, and Harry glanced up quickly, to find Troy beside him.

"Can you help her?" he asked immediately, looking imploringly up at the redhead. "Like you did for me?"

"I'm sorry," Troy replied quietly. "I was able to help you because it was a Shadow Walker that attacked you…but it wasn't the same for her…"

"Well we have to do something…" Harry began, feeling desperation setting in. He hadn't even seen what had happened…but he knew it was bad.

"Can…can I see the wound?" Troy asked, hesitantly, and Ron looked up sharply at his words.

"No, I don't trust you," he said bluntly, moving a hand protectively around Hermione's waist as she winced from the motion.

"Ron, he saved my life," Harry said quickly. "He won't hurt her…and if he can help…"

Ron brought his glare down at Harry instantly, but after a moment, took a long, shaky breath.

"Fine," he said quietly. "But don't touch her," he added warningly, eyeing Troy.

"I promise," Troy said sincerely, before kneeling down beside Harry. Ever so slowly, Ron moved a hand to Hermione's shirt, lifting it just enough to reveal a bit above her stomach, and Harry felt a wave of nausea pass over him, which he struggled with before finally forcing it away.

What appeared to be thin gouges were all over Hermione's abdomen and a bit below, but something about them was different from any cut Harry had ever seen. Some of the marks were crisscrossed, and some alone…but they were all bleeding freely.

"I know it will hurt her, but you need to put more pressure on those," Troy said evenly, calmly. "She's injured…and it's bad, but not fatal…though she needs medical attention, as soon as possible…"

Harry listened, only half hearing what Troy was saying…wondering how this had happened, when he felt Draco tapping him on the shoulder. He looked to see the fair-haired wizard motioning him to his feet, and Harry stood quickly, following him a few paces away.

"What did Lilith do?" Harry asked tightly. "I thought she was after Ron…"

"She was," Draco interrupted quickly, gravely. "She was using Granger to get at Weasley…she said it was to show him how it felt to lose someone you loved."

"But…what caused those…gashes?" Harry asked with a shudder.

"The Skeins," Draco replied grimly. "Lilith tied her up…then the Skeins took her. They started with her stomach…" he trailed off, a green tinge coming up in his face as he swallowed hard. "They didn't just cut her, Harry…they started to skin her…a little bit at a time…"

Harry's stomach flipped slowly, and he could find no words at that moment, horrified and appalled, feeling his jaw drop and a new wave of sickness wash over him as Draco continued.

"Lilith intended for them to keep going…piece by piece…they were moving so slowly…and she kept trying to scream… Weasley tried to get to her, but Lilith was half strangling him as it was…all we could do was watch…" he trailed off, his voice catching for half a second, looking away quickly. "They were just taking their time…that's all," he finished shakily.

Harry let this all sink in, feeling the sickness slowly being overcome with anger.

"Where is Lilith now?" he asked, realizing he hadn't seen her among the others.

"She got away," Draco replied darkly. "Went further into the dungeons…"

"And abandoned her children," Harry stated bitterly.

"She knows when she can't win," Draco shrugged faintly, though he still looked angry. After half a moment, he spoke again. "What about you? Something hurt you…I felt it…"

"It's nothing," Harry said stiffly, "Just a misunderstanding…" he trailed off, turning and walking back towards the others. Troy was now speaking with one of the Shadow Walkers and Harry figured the others must be about somewhere, as he reached his two friends again.

"We have to take her to the hospital wing now," he stated quickly. "And we still have to get to the other professors…"

"And find Lilith," Ron added menacingly.

"Ryan will take her back up, he can get there quickly," Troy spoke up, looking down at Hermione.

"Not a chance!" Ron spat, horrified. "I'm not letting one of them touch her!"

"They won't hurt her, I swear to you," Troy began quickly.

Ron looked as if he were going to argue when Troy continued.

"Or you can take her yourself…but the rest of us must find the others…"

Ron seemed to consider this for a brief moment…and it looked as though his anger won out, as he looked back up with steely resolve glinting in his eyes.

"You promise he'll take care of her…he won't let her get hurt?" he asked, clinging protectively to Hermione.

"She'll be in good hands," Troy replied. "I swear she'll be kept safe…"

Looking back down at Hermione, a lump rising in his throat, Ron nodded faintly, before leaning down and kissing her gently.

"I'll be up to check on you soon, okay?" he whispered, forcing a reassuring smile to his lips.

Hermione looked back at him, a hint of fear in her eyes…but the pain she was feeling was written all over her face as she finally managed to speak.

"Just…be c-careful…" she whispered, pleadingly.

"I promise," Ron replied, kissing her again, before reluctantly letting one of the shadows lift her from his arms. He watched apprehensively as the shadow moved away from him, staring for a long moment, before forcing his gaze away.

After Harry, Ron and Draco had found new wands to use from among the lifeless death eaters, the small group, including Troy and three Shadow Walkers, set off, moving further into the dungeons.

As they went, Troy explained, at Harry's prompting, what had happened while he was away.

Troy had made his way back to the shadows' village without much trouble, since Adrik had assumed his memory was gone, he didn't consider Troy a threat in any way, and hadn't expected anyone actually trying to get into the cult's home.

It was talking to his former family that had taken the longest…none of them quite willing to believe they had made a mistake. There simply could not be two people with Jared's scent. After nearly a week, however, Troy had finally worn them down…convincing them at least of the possibility…and so Pollux had granted him the help of four Shadow Walkers. They were to obey Troy, no matter what…and bring back the real Jared…but if it ended up the only one they found by the end of everything was Harry…then he must be who they were looking for, and they were to bring him back instead.

"The only problem is they're telling me they don't sense anyone else…they can't find Jared," Troy explained.

"But you said they did before, right?" Harry asked, anxiously.

"Yes," Troy nodded. "But it was a bit complicated…you see, I felt the Orb the moment we entered, so we went for that first. I led them downstairs…though like I told you, we can't get to it…there's a barrier. We found a barrier around another room as well…but since it was blocking the door, and I could barely see inside, I could only make out what was near the entrance to the room…and that's where I saw your chest, with the crystals."

"So we can't get to the Orb or the crystals?" Draco asked quickly. "There's no way to get around the barrier? Or break it?"

Troy was silent for a long moment, and the grave look on his face only made Harry's stomach tighten in worry, before the redhead finally spoke up.

"David," he said, looking towards the shadows gliding silently beside them. "You have to get to the professors…find where they've been locked up…and take care of anyone trying to hurt them…"

"And you?" David asked, stiffly…it was obvious to Harry in that second that they were only listening to Troy because they'd been told to…they didn't believe his story.

"I'm going to see if we can get to the Orb," Troy replied simply. "Meet us there when you're done."

Without another word, David nodded, before motioning the others to follow him. Harry watched as they seeped into the wall, much as they'd done just a short while ago, before turning his attention back to Troy.

"Come on," Troy said, beginning to quicken his pace. "The Orb is this way…"

"What about the stones?" Draco asked at once. "Shouldn't we do those first?"

"We can't," Troy replied evenly. "The way the barrier is set up…it won't work that way…"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, uneasily. Troy looked over at him quickly, before replying, his tone even.

"I'll show you."

They walked on, further into the dungeons, and Harry couldn't help but glance around every so often…wondering if they were being watched or followed. Ron, he noticed, was being utterly silent, and finally he stepped up beside his friend.

"She'll be okay Ron, I know she will," Harry began in a hushed tone, sounding more confident than he felt.

Ron only looked back at his friend, fury brimming in his reddened eyes.

"I just want to find Lilith," he finally stated evenly, no emotion whatsoever in his voice.

"So do I," Harry said quickly, "but Ron…"

"I'm going to kill her, Harry," Ron cut him off sharply. "Don't try to stop me."

Harry looked at his friend for a long moment…torn. What had been done to Hermione was unforgivable…and Harry could think of no more fitting punishment than death, but he didn't think Ron should be the one to do it…

"Ron," he began, hesitantly, as they were turning yet another corner. "If you kill Lilith-"

"Kill me?" Lilith's voice interrupted, sounding quite amused. "Well…you can give it your best shot…"

The four wizards came to an abrupt halt and looked down the hall…where both Lilith and Oren walked slowly out of the dark shadows, less than ten feet away.

"Incendia!" Ron shouted vehemently, standing his ground as a burst of flames emitted from his wand, and raced towards the two death eaters. Neither one budged, however, seeming quite unconcerned, and seconds before the fireball should have hit them, it splattered up against nothing, dissolving.

Cursing vehemently, Ron raised his wand again.

"It won't do any good," Oren spoke up then, grinning. "Nothing you shoot is coming through the shield," he paused, "but if we shoot…" he trailed off, raising his wand. "Crucio!"

The four wizards scrambled, ducking out of the way as the torturous curse barreled towards them, sparking harmlessly into the hard, stone floor.

"Too bad you sent your bodyguards away," Lilith sneered. "They would have come in handy."

"And leave the other death eaters to kill McGonagall and the rest of the professors?" Troy shot back angrily.

Lilith and Oren smiled, wickedly.

"We decided the other death eaters were needed elsewhere right now," Lilith began, almost pleasantly.

"It's much more important that Dumbledore is taken care of first," Oren added. "And of course…Hadley…"

"No," Harry began weakly, feeling a stab of panic.

"I'm afraid so, Potter," Oren grinned. "It was most generous of Marzia to give the password to young Miss Weasley back in the office. Wormtail overheard easily, and delivered it to us. As soon as Dumbledore is taken care of…and that highly irritating Black, Hadley will have a visitor…"

Harry clenched his teeth, stepping away from the wall he was near, but Oren had hoped for this, and had already begun to shoot the curse again.

"Get back!" Draco yelled, jumping sideways and knocking into Harry, both of them falling to the floor as the bolt of light crackled just inches short of their feet. Hearing Oren's voice again, Harry and Draco glanced up fearfully, but scrambled up half a second later when Troy fell to the ground, screaming. He'd been distracted for a brief moment, watching Harry and Draco, that he didn't realize Oren had taken new aim.

"Let him go!" Harry cried angrily, standing helplessly over Troy's thrashing form. He tried to touch the young professor, to pull him out of the curse's path…but couldn't so much as bring his fingers close without getting a nasty jolt.

"Maybe…in a minute or two…" Oren replied casually, as he and Lilith laughed, seeming unconcerned as Ron finally stepped forward, kneeling down beside Troy whose cries were growing weaker, and aiming his wand towards Lilith.

"You really don't learn, do you?" she laughed, but Ron ignored her, and began to speak.

"Aegis repercutio!" he hissed fiercely, and in an instant, a shimmering white shield seemed to umbrella out from the tip of his wand, only this particular type of shield didn't just block a curse…it reflected it.

At once the spark of light coming from Oren's wand rebounded, right back where Ron was aiming his own wand…straight at Lilith. She realized what was happening far too late, as the curse smashed into her full force, knocking her to the floor, writhing and screaming. Oren tried to lower the curse, but couldn't…he was held there by Ron, unable to control his wand as the two spells were now attached.

Harry and Draco helped Troy shakily to his feet…waiting…but as the seconds ticked by, Ron wasn't letting up…

"Ron, you've done enough," Harry spoke up finally. "Let her go."

"No," Ron replied flatly, his eyes fixed on Lilith's twitching form.

"Ron-" Harry began again.

"Lower the shield," Ron interrupted sharply, shifting his gaze to Oren.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Oren replied, concentration etched into every line of his face as he tried to pull his wand away. "If I lower it, I'll still be stuck in your spell…while the rest of your friends are free to shoot me…"

"Fine," Ron replied smoothly, " I can stay just like this then…as long as it takes…"

Harry could hardly believe Ron's completely detached and cold attitude…he had no care for Lilith either, but it was still a life…

After another minute of Ron still showing no sign that he would give in, and a final look at Lilith's now completely limp form, Oren spoke again.

"Fine I'll lower it…" he said, breathing quickly now, "but you have to let me go…I need my wand to-"

"Don't lie," Ron spat. "You need Dimanare Powder. I know what the shield you're using is…and you know why? Because Hermione told me about them…" he paused only a brief moment, his eyes flashing, his face flushed with emotion, before continuing, his tone becoming more intense by the second, and his gaze boring into Oren's with such ferocity it was frightening. "She tells me a good many things, you know…and most of them I usually think don't matter much in the scheme of things…or that I'll never need to know them…useless information. But I listen to her…even though she thinks I don't…I always do…she's the smartest witch in the world, you know…and could beat either of you on any given day if you had any honor at all, but no, you always fight dirty, don't you? Well now I'm fighting dirty! Put the shield down now or I'm aiming this at you next! And then you can think about what we can do to you when you're both unconscious on the floor…" he trailed off darkly, looking furiously back at the death eater.

Harry couldn't make a sound, too shocked to speak as he stared in disbelief at his friend. Everyone was standing perfectly still, looking back and forth between the two wizards, old and young…until finally, Oren's left hand slid stiffly into his pocket. For a moment, Harry tensed, but a second later the older wizard's hand emerged with a powdery substance drizzling from between his fingers. He glared hatefully at Ron, before tossing it in front of him.

The moment the powder hit the shield it started to fizzle quickly, and almost immediately, it had completely evaporated. Ron waited only a second longer, before slowly rising to his feet, keeping the shield aimed perfectly as he moved, when without warning he flipped it upwards, aiming it so the spell cracked angrily against the ceiling, before dropping his barrier.

Oren's arm raised with Ron's motion, unable to control the wand, and at the last second, when the reflecting shield had finally been pulled back, he let go of the wand, collapsing to the floor and shaking from all the energy that had just been drained from him. Harry knew from experience, how much energy performing that curse required…but doing it for that length of time, straight…he couldn't even imagine what it would feel like… Despite this, however, he wasted no time in summoning both death eaters' wands to him, before starting forward.

"Nice one, Weasley," Draco said quietly, breaking the silence that had settled over the small group. Ron looked up quickly, surprised to see Malfoy looked sincere, and nodded faintly.

After tying up Oren and Lilith, Harry turned to Troy, who was still looking quite pale from his encounter…but nowhere near as bad as Lilith looked…

"Where to now?" he asked the redheaded professor.

"Down that way," Troy replied with a nod. "The way they were blocking."

"Let's go then," Harry said evenly, looking towards both Ron and Draco, who followed, after a brief moment. Ron paused near Lilith, looking down on her limp form, and Harry feared he might do more…but Ron merely took a deep breath, letting it out shakily, before forcing his gaze away and following the others down the corridor.

After just a short while longer, the group came to a split in the hall.

"Both of these lead to a dead end," Troy began quietly, looking down both dark, dimly lit corridors in turn. Harry couldn't see the ending of either one from where they stood, and figured they had to stretch back quite far.

"The Orb is down this one," Troy continued, pointing to the path on their left before starting to step towards it.

"So the crystals are down there then?" Draco asked, nodding towards the hall on their right.

"Yes," Troy nodded.

"Why can't we go down there first, again?" he asked.

"Because you can't get to the crystals without letting the barrier around the room down…and to do that, you need to get the Orb…"

"But there's a barrier around the Orb too, right?" Draco asked as he finally started down the left path with the others.

"Yes," Troy replied simply.

"So what do we use to get passed that?"

Troy was silent for a long moment, before replying, hesitantly.

"You…don't need magic…you just walk through it. Once you touch the Orb, both barriers drop."

Draco stared back at Troy, his eyes narrowing in confusion, and Harry could honestly say he suddenly felt the same.

"Well…then why haven't you just gotten it yourself?" Draco asked, arching an inquisitive eyebrow.

"And if we can walk through it…can't we just do the same to get the crystals?" Harry added. Troy glanced over at the both of them, sighing reluctantly, before speaking again.

"The second barrier is controlled by the first barrier, so no…you can't just walk through that one. And I can't get through the first one…neither can anyone else that is or has ever been a Shadow Walker, with one exception."

"And that is?" Draco prompted.

"Whichever one of us cast the barriers," Troy replied.

"So Jared then," Harry replied darkly.

"He can walk in and out of either of them," Troy nodded. "The rest of the Shadow Walkers, former or present, can't get past."

"And the first one…the one around the Orb…is the shield that we can walk through, and you can't?" Draco asked, smirking in faint amusement. "Why would Jared let there be any way through at all? Sounds like a stupid idea…why even bother using it…the other way is obviously more effective…" he trailed off, when at last they reached the end of the cold, damp corridor.

"Because it's impossible to put that particular type of barrier up around the Orb," Troy explained, "it won't allow it, so he had to do it this way…"

There was a thick metal door to their left, and Troy easily turned the latch, before pushing the heavy door open and stepping in. The others followed silently, and Harry had to shield his eyes from the brightness. The barrier was the same luminescent blue that had been surrounding the temple in the woods near the cult's village… It was forming a half moon shape in the center of the room, and the dim outline of what had to be the Orb was barely visible from within.

"And this barrier is more effective than you know, Malfoy," Troy said gravely, unable to meet the eyes of the three wizards any longer as his gaze fell to the floor.

"Troy…just tell us," Harry pressed, after a moment of nothing. "Because you're obviously nervous about something…and from what you've already said, all that has to be done is one of us goes through this shield and gets the Orb, and by doing so we lower both barriers, right?"

"Right…" Troy nodded, hesitantly.

"Well then what…?" Harry began.

"They took you into the temple, right?" Troy interrupted suddenly. "Castor and Pollux…I know they did."

"In the village…? Yes," Harry nodded, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "But what does that…?"

"Do you remember what happened…when you first stepped through…into the temple?" Troy asked, evenly.

Harry looked back at him for a long moment, before realization dawned in his eyes…and then horror.

"Wait…wait a minute," he said, suddenly straining to stay calm. "You can't mean…if one of us walks through this…" he trailed off, seeing Troy nod grimly.

"What?" Ron spoke up, anxiously.

"We won't be able to breathe," Harry stated quietly.

"What?" Draco cried in shock. "Then…how're we supposed to…?"

"The way to break the barrier, is simply to touch the Orb," Troy said evenly. "But the atmosphere inside the shield will begin to suffocate you from the moment your fingers brush its surface."

"But…how…?" Ron began, nervously. "Can't you…er…hold your breath against it, maybe?" he paused, glancing again at the half moon barrier before him. "It doesn't look that far around, either…I bet we could make it in and back quickly enough…"

"No," Troy said, apologetically, reluctantly. "You can't stop it from happening. Once a witch or wizard touches the barrier, it starts. You get drawn in…it slowly drains your energy…your life. You won't be able to breathe, it's going to be painful, and you can only move as fast as it will let you"

"So then…when does it stop?" Draco asked. "As soon as you reach the Orb? Or do you have to make it back as well?"

"It stops when the Orb is touched," Troy said quietly. "But-"

"Well that might not be so bad then," Draco cut him off quickly, looking warily at the blue barrier.

Harry looked at Troy for a long moment, staring straight into his eyes. With a sinking feeling, he realized what the transfiguration professor was so reluctant to tell them…

"Whoever goes in isn't going to make it out, are they?" he asked quietly, his voice surprisingly calm for the sudden dread that had settled in his gut.

Troy nodded slowly, and Harry had to look away, feeling helplessness settling firmly over him. How would they get it now?

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, a hint of fear in his voice and his eyes wide. "Whoever goes in there…they'll die?"

"I'm sorry," Troy began quietly.

"You're sorry?" Draco shouted, looking suddenly furious. "Did you just expect one of us would willingly end our lives for your stupid crystal ball? Why does it have to be one of us? Why not just grab one of the death eaters…make one of them get it for you?"

"It has to be someone who's willing to do this," Troy stated evenly. "Or the barrier won't let you in."

Harry glanced around at his friends, seeing the horrified expression on Draco's face as he took a step back, and then looking to Ron, seeing his best friend standing utterly still, a blank expression on his face as he stared fixedly at the barrier, before turning back to face Troy.

"If you have the Orb…can you use it?" Harry asked him seriously.

"I can," Troy nodded hesitantly. "What do you-?"

"Will you call the other Shadow Walkers…ask them to help?" Harry asked. "Mel is somewhere close, I'm sure…Sirius and Marzia are heading into a trap at Nabakza, if they haven't already been caught…and Hadley…"

"We'll get them out," Troy nodded firmly. "I promise you."

"Thank you," Harry nodded sincerely, taking a deep breath before looking towards the barrier again. "Then I'll get the Orb."

"No, you won't," Ron spoke up immediately, coming forward at once and blocking his best friend's path.

"Ron, it's the only way," Harry said quickly, wishing his friend would just let him go. He couldn't think about it…he just had to do it. "We can't save everyone…there's not enough time…but if we get the Orb…"

"No, I agree with that," Ron said evenly, his tense eyes locking with Harry's. "We need the Orb, there's no other way to win this…but you aren't going to get it. I am."

Harry's jaw dropped in horror, and he shook his head faintly.

"No," he stated quickly, almost pleadingly. "No you can't…Hermione, she needs…"

"Don't," Ron said, his voice faintly shaking. He swallowed hard, looking away for a brief moment, before glancing back to Harry again. "Listen to me Harry," he began again, straining to keep his voice even as his eyes became glassy. "If you walk in there, it'll be the dumbest thing you'll ever do…and you've done some pretty stupid things, I can tell you. But Jared needs you dead, and this way you'll just be doing it for him."

"But no, Ron…the cult…they can…they'll help…" Harry began, earnestly. He couldn't do it…he couldn't let his friend die for him.

"Will you just stop?" Ron spat, sharply, and Harry's mouth snapped closed. "You heard what Troy said…the Shadow Walkers sensed Jared when they came…down here…while we were still upstairs…and now they can't anymore. The crystals are in the school; we know Jared isn't leaving without them. My guess is…Mel is here too…probably in the very same room with the stones. He's already inside her, Harry. He must be, or the shadows would be able to pick up on him. Once you die, he can do what he needs to…he can be born again…once you die, he'll become more powerful than all of us. The only way to get him out is with the crystals…and the only one who can do that is you."

Harry couldn't find his voice as he stared back at his friend. His vision blurred as tears started to build in his eyes. Ron had been the first friend he'd ever made, and despite the fighting that came and went, Ron would always end up by his side in the end, forever loyal. To think of life without him…

"No, you can't," Harry said angrily, looking away as he furiously blinked back against the tears. "I won't let you," he paused, fingering the wand in his hand, before lifting it into the air, aiming it at Ron. "I'll stun you if I have to," he stated quietly, but his hand was quite unsteady.

Ron only shook his head faintly, before stepping towards Harry calmly.

"Just tell Hermione something for me, alright?" Ron asked, smiling ever so slightly despite his strained voice. "Tell her I'm sorry, and I l-love her…and…a-and that…there's s-so much…" he trailed off, his voice breaking.

Harry couldn't look away from his friend…his best friend…who was going to sacrifice his life…

"Promise me you'll tell her?" Ron asked slowly, looking back up, and directly into Harry's eyes, when he managed to regain some of his composure.

Slowly, reluctantly, Harry nodded to his friend…feeling sicker than he'd ever felt in his life. Feeling as if he were the one killing Ron, just by allowing his friend to do this…it wasn't fair… But Ron had been right as well, as much as Harry didn't want to admit it…if Jared gained control of the crystals, all of this would be for nothing.

"You better get going then," Ron whispered, nodding towards the door. "I'll have the barrier down for you to get to the crystals in no time."

"Ron," Harry began quietly, his voice thick with grief. "I-"

"Just go Harry," Ron said quickly, his face looking ready to crumble again, but he quickly forced the emotions back. "I've got this one covered, trust me."

"I always have," Harry replied. He stepped forward, and pulled his best friend into a brotherly embrace, screwing up his face against the misery inside of him, howling to be unleashed. It was Ron who broke the hold though, pushing Harry gently away.

"Mel's waiting," he said simply, and Harry nodded faintly, before starting for the door. He passed by a white-faced Draco Malfoy, and suddenly wanted to be mad at him, but realized just as quickly, that he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted Ron's life spared…he couldn't ever ask or expect Draco to have accepted this task…

"Good luck," Troy's voice called out from back near the barrier, and Harry turned to look at him quickly. "I'll call on the others the second I have the Orb," the redhead continued.

"Good," Harry nodded stiffly; forcing himself to think only of the task that now lay before him. "And I'll be back when I have the crystals…and Mel."

As Harry stepped through the door, he thought about asking Draco to come with him, in case he needed the help…but realized it was probably better to leave him out of this. If he was going to be using the crystals, and Jared was, in fact, already inside of his child…there would be nothing Draco could do anyway.

Moving quickly through the damp corridor, Harry forced any thoughts of Ron out of his head…he had to, or he'd never be able to do whatever was going to be needed of him when he reached the crystals. Instead, he concentrated on Mel…and their child…no matter what it cost, he was going to save them.

Harry ran, as fast as his legs would take him, through the dark corridor. He reached the end where the group had first come across the split, and quickly turned, heading down the hallway on the right. He wouldn't let himself think…wouldn't let his mind wander…and any time it started to, he would simply put on a burst of speed, concentrating on getting to the room.

As he neared the end, however, breathing heavily, Harry skidded to an abrupt halt still a good fifteen feet from the door. There was a blue blanket of light covering the entrance, which he knew had to be the barrier…and standing just in front of that, smirking in smug satisfaction, was Adrik Lestrange.

Harry decided in an instant not to let Adrik have the first move this time. Bringing up his wand immediately, he aimed it at the death eater.

"Expelliarmus!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the corridor as Adrik's wand was ripped from his grasp, and flew to Harry's waiting hand. He slipped the wand he'd been using into his pocket then, but before Harry could speak a word, the death eater's amused laughter filled the dank air.

"Feel better?" Adrik asked with a dark grin. "Got that out of your system?"

"You've lost," Harry stated with much more confidence in his tone than he actually felt. "Soon the other Shadow Walkers will be called on, and they're going to take care of everything…Dumbledore, Sirius…Hadley…"

"But they can't help whichever of your friends you left to die back there, can they?" Adrik asked tauntingly, and Harry flinched. "No, certainly not," Adrik continued, laughing quietly. "Just as they can't help Melanie…" he trailed off, leaning his head closer towards the doorway, near a tiny barred window. Harry wished the barrier would shock him…but Adrik stayed just outside of its range "She doesn't sound very comfortable," he mused, and Harry realized with dread that he could hear someone…a barely audible whimpering…his heart twisted just thinking about it. He had to get her out of there. "Though," Adrik continued nonchalantly, "I suppose having someone force their way inside of your unborn-"

"Shut up!" Harry yelled angrily, his blood boiling, not wanting to hear anymore as the death eater turned an amused smile on him. He had to get into that room… "Just step away from the door," Harry continued, tightly, keeping the wand he'd just taken trained steadily on his mark.

"Oh but I like it right here," Adrik replied pleasantly, producing another wand seemingly from thin air as he spoke. Harry opened his mouth at once, but Adrik cut him off. "Disarming me won't work with this one," he said quickly. "I've made sure over the years, that my wand can never be taken from me by magic. So now that we both have our own wands…" he trailed off, and Harry glanced down, realizing in surprise, he did have his wand…his real wand. That's what he'd taken when he'd disarmed Adrik…

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden noise near the door, and Harry heard what sounded like running water, as the blue barrier seemed to soften, before forming a puddle on the hard stones…and vanishing.

Harry felt his throat tighten at once, but choked back forcefully on his grief. He had to concentrate on Mel…

"Oh…look…he's dead now, isn't he?" the death eater sighed in mock sadness. "Whoever it was. I have to admit; I honestly never thought you'd let someone else take on that task. I suppose I misjudged you," Adrik hissed tauntingly, and Harry's eyes narrowed in hatred, feeling a sudden rush of anger towards the older man.

"Get out of my way," Harry stated slowly, icily. He had to find a way past…and for half a second, he considered closing his eyes again…but thought better of it. He wasn't going to be far enough away from Adrik this time…and the death eater could easily feel his way into the hallway's only room to go after him…

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Adrik shrugged casually. "You see, I can't let you get to the crystals…and since it's obvious now, that the cult is not going to kill you in time…I guess I'll just have to do it myself," he said, raising his wand and aiming at Harry.

Harry reacted instinctively, bringing up his wand in a flash and calling out a stunning spell. The light barreled down the dark hall towards the large death eater, who dodged out of the way, leaving the doorway unguarded.

Without wasting a second, Harry lunged forward, making a mad dash for the door but skidded to a halt at the sound of Adrik's voice, shielding his face as an intense light streamed past his face. The curse missed him by mere inches.

"No you don't," Adrik spat as he stood upright once again. He had his wand aimed directly at Harry, as he slowly began to step towards him.

Harry didn't even think before he brought up his wand again, moving so quickly that Adrik didn't react until the curse had already been called out. Instead of trying to move out of the way, however, the death eater simply brought up his left hand, which took on a red tinge, just a split second before the curse slammed into it. To Harry's horror, the spell rebounded, and the unexpectedness of what he'd seen slowed his reaction…he tried to dodge, but it did no good. The curse hit him in the gut, knocking him up against the wall before he fell stiffly to the floor, in a full body bind.

Immediately, the dark sound of Adrik's triumphant laughter filled the air, and Harry could do nothing but stare up at him, helplessly. He'd been so close…

"I think," Adrik began tauntingly, starting to walk slowly around Harry's rigid form, "that I'll ask to have Melanie's life spared after the child is born…it'd be a shame to simply kill her off, so young and beautiful as she is," he paused, coming to a halt. "Besides, my dearest wife will need to heal after that horrid incident she's just been through…and I do get lonely…"

Inside, Harry was struggling fiercely against the invisible hold over him, his anger and rage building up as he heard what Adrik was saying, but on the outside, he remained motionless as ever, the hateful glint in his eye being the only indication of his feelings…though the death eater couldn't see that…

"And that other girl," Adrik went on, quite cheerfully. "Hermione…I'll have to find her as well. It would be only fair that my wife get to finish what she started."

The death eater began moving again then…coming around to Harry's right side and kneeling just beside him…the place where his eyes should have been staring straight back at Harry as if he could see him.

"I can hear you breathing," Adrik whispered, leaning down, their faces quite close as the cold voice echoed in the corridor. "Fast…so fast…you're scared, I know…" the dark man trailed off, a small smile suddenly touching his lips. "What was it, do you know?" he asked quietly. "Boy or girl? Not that it matters…it will never really live…and there's nothing you can do to stop it. The child of the great Harry Potter…a prisoner in its own mind for all eternity…and its father powerless to help it…" he trailed off, laughing at the joke he obviously considered to be quite amusing, while Harry lay still…wishing him dead with every fiber of his being. He felt murderous at that moment.

"Ah well," Adrik sighed at last, slowly pushing back, and rising to his feet. "Enough of this…Jared is waiting…"

Harry wanted to scream, feeling tears of hatred stinging his eyes, still unable to move. He didn't want to believe this was the end…but the body bind was showing no signs of wearing off…and he was out of time…

Without warning, a rush of energy surged within him, and Harry would have laughed out loud if he could've. The crystals…he realized…of course…he was so close to them now…the barrier was gone…his life was in danger, and so there they were.

Adrik seemed to sense the change as well, however, as Harry saw the confused look wash over the death eater's face, but it didn't matter now. Just as Adrik pointed his wand at him, preparing to say the deadly words, Harry unleashed the energy. All of his anger, rage, hatred and helplessness that had been roiling in his gut flooded out through the stream of energy.

With a wave of power so strong that his hair whipped about, and the air crackled with electricity, Harry sat up with a start; as the body bind immediately faded away. Adrik was struck full force, by the strength of the blast. Harry watched him, his broad, tall figure, flung the length of the hall as if he were a rag doll, only seconds before the large man's body impacted, with a sickening crunch, against the hard stone wall, and Adrik slumped limply to the cold, solid ground.

Harry stood up slowly, shakily, wanting to run at once into the room behind him, but also wanting to make sure Adrik wouldn't be following him anytime soon.

He crossed the hall in silence, stopping slowly as he reached the death eater's lifeless form, and realized as his eyes grew wide with shock, there was no chance of him getting up.

The stone wall, which was cracked and crumbling from the impact, was smeared with thick blood, as was the back of Adrik's now irregularly shaped head. He was dead. For all his powers and protections that he'd studied over the years…they all meant nothing now

Taking a step back as the image set in, Harry swallowed hard, choking down a wave of sickness that had so readily rose in his throat. He hadn't meant to…

Yes, you did, another part of his mind told him, and he knew it was true. The way Adrik had spoke about Mel…and his child…he'd wanted nothing more than to see the man dead…but now that it was done…

Shaking his head, Harry fought back the thoughts of what he'd just done…he couldn't think on it now…Mel…he had to save Mel. Turning away from the vile scene, Harry stalked quickly across the silent hall, reaching out and grasping the latch on the door, turning it at once, and stepping into the room.

A muffled sound from his left caused Harry to look that way at once, and he felt a rush of relief and horror, as his eyes found Mel. She was on a large, very out of place, white bed, but her wrists and ankles were tied to the guardrails along the sides and she struggled against them. She'd been put into a position that made it clear to Harry that they'd expected her to deliver the baby like this, and the thought of it made him sick.

Rushing to her side, Harry immediately and gently removed the cloth they'd used to gag her with; his heart breaking as he looked down upon her tear streaked face…how could he have let this happen?

"Harry…I'm sorry," she whispered, sniffling softly. "There were so many of them…at the shop…I just…I…" she stammered.

"Shhh, it's alright," Harry cooed gently. "You have nothing to be sorry about," he whispered. "Now let's get you off of here…" he trailed off, drawing out his wand and waving it over her. The cords fell loose at once, and Harry every so gently slipped his arms under and around Mel's form…she was shaking uncontrollably. There were several chairs on the opposite side of the bed, and Harry carried her over to them at once, setting her down easily into the nearest seat, and suddenly seeing they were not alone.

A young boy was lying, unmoving, propped up against the wall near where Harry stood, and he recognized him at once. The child looked exactly like Devon, which meant this was Tom Riddle Jr.…the boy who would be Voldemort. Harry went to him instinctively, realizing he was alive, and his breathing sounded normal enough. Lifting him off the floor, he carried the boy over to the bed, not really thinking about who was actually in his arms, and placed him gently on the sheets.

"A man c-came in," Mel spoke up then, her voice unsteady and hoarse, and Harry moved back towards her. "Not too long ago…he j-just looked at me, Harry…he didn't say anything and all he did was l-look at me…and finally he put his hands on me…and I…I felt something…it…it was…I'm not sure…but it felt like s-something going th-through me…inside…" she trailed off, fresh tears spilling down her face as she sobbed. Harry immediately knelt down beside her, pulling her into a fierce embrace.

"Th-The man turned into h-him," Mel continued through her tears, pointing weakly towards the unconscious boy. "And then I c-couldn't feel him anymore…"

"Mel I'm so sorry," Harry said, his heart pounding in his chest, wishing he could take back all she'd been through. "I'm sorry for everything…"

"What did he want?" Mel cried suddenly. "What did he do to me?"

Harry paused for a brief moment, staring sadly into her deep blue eyes.

"He's after the baby," he said at last, and Mel's jaw dropped, her eyes betraying both shock…and terror.

"How?" she cried shakily. "Who was he? Why would…?"

"Mel I don't have time to explain," Harry said quickly, apologetically. "Please just believe me…that was Jared…he's inside of you right now…inside of our child."

"Jared…" Mel whispered, horrified, her eyes widening even further as her hands flew to her stomach instinctively. "As in…Jared Graham? Grindelwald?"

"Yes," Harry nodded regretfully. "And I have to get him out…"

"You can do that?" Mel interrupted, looking pleadingly…fearfully…into Harry's gaze with her red, puffy eyes.

"With the crystals, yes," Harry nodded gravely. "I believe I can…" he paused, feeling a wave of sadness wash over him. "I'm so sorry to ask this of you Mel…but-"

"Do it," Mel stated suddenly, looking piercingly into Harry's eyes. "Do whatever you have to…please, you can't let him have our-" she stopped abruptly as her voice caught in her throat, and she swallowed hard, shivering.

Harry wanted nothing more than to just hold her right now, to ease her pain and comfort her…but he couldn't yet. Giving one of Mel's hands a reassuring squeeze, he rose to his feet and glanced around. The chest containing the crystals was there…back near the door, and Harry immediately crossed the room, coming to a halt and kneeling in front of the trunk.

Taking a deep breath, Harry lowered his head until his eye was at level with the keyhole and with a loud click; the chest was unlocked. As the lid slowly rose, Harry looked down upon the fourteen crystals…it had been so long since he last used them.

Without wasting another second, Harry lifted his hand, placing it over the courage crystal, and with one swift motion, activated all of the stones.

The rush of colors swirled at once into the air around him and Harry felt the same familiar rush that he remembered from what felt like ages since he'd last possessed the crystals. But as the stones were a part of him, and would be until he died, they seemed to know already what was going on…and what needed to be done…

Are we sure we want to enter another mind? the fear crystal spoke up at once. After what happened last time.

We have to, Harry thought back. Jared has to be stopped.

We'll have to kill him, the resolve crystal's voice came through, evenly.

We have to get him out of my child, Harry shot back quickly. And if that means…well…we'll do whatever it takes.

Then let's go, the courage crystal stated.

Wait, Harry stated quickly. He knew the crystals would obey him, Snape said they would if ever his life was in danger…however; he needed to have complete control over them, not just their help…

Professor Snape…you have to cut him off…he isn't going to help anymore.

Are we sure? all fourteen voices asked in unison.

Harry nodded faintly.

Yes.

In an instant the colors around him began to grow brighter, starting to spiral around him…faster and faster, brighter and brighter, Harry wanted to shut his eyes, but couldn't. He could feel the wind of their movement, and his hair whipped about wildly, before the light became so intense he could see nothing else.

With a forceful surge, the auras lunged forward, and into Harry. Through his pours, filling his veins, his lungs, his heart, his head…he could feel more energy than ever before in his life…and what was more…he realized…he knew how to use it…

When the last of the light vanished into him, Harry shuddered involuntarily, but slowly, a smile spread across his face. Glancing back towards Mel, he saw her staring back at him, questioningly. He knew she wouldn't have seen the light…no one had every been able to view the crystals in that form other than him, but she would have seen his reaction.

"Are you alright?" she asked as he crossed back to her, looking concernedly up at him and following his gaze as he knelt down beside her.

"Never better," he grinned lightly, taking one of her hands in his, preparing for what he had to do. "Ready?" he asked.

"The sooner the better," Mel nodded quickly, unable to hide the worry she was feeling completely. "Please just be careful…please…don't…don't let him…"

"I won't," Harry stated gently, evenly. "I promise."

With one last nod from Mel, Harry let go. Clutching her hand in both of his, he did what he had to…almost shocked at how natural it felt now. There were no more voices…the crystals were there…he could feel them, but they were no longer voicing their opinions. They were a part of his thoughts, and the source of his power.

Harry let his energy flow, pouring himself into Mel, feeling himself sliding forward, and suddenly everything blurred. Images merged into one another as Harry finally made the jump.

For a split second, everything went pitch black, and Harry could neither see nor hear…and suddenly, it was as if a light switch had been flicked on.

Harry stood; looking around cautiously…he appeared to be in an empty room. There were no doors or windows…everything was white…when suddenly his eyes fell upon the far left corner…he wasn't alone…

A young boy was kneeling in the corner, Harry didn't recognize him. He looked to be about six or seven years old, with light brown hair, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. There was a good amount of dirt on his hands, face and clothes, the sure sign of a child who's been having fun…and currently, he was scribbling furiously on one of the pristine white walls, with a broken black crayon.

"Hello," Harry began, guardedly, slowly starting towards him. The boy glanced up over his shoulder; his light hazel eyes meeting Harry's, and a dark scowl crossed his face.

"You can't stop me, you know…I've already started," he spat angrily.

"Jared," Harry hissed, his eyes narrowing as he realized instantly who the boy was. Jared only smirked at him, and went back to his coloring, but quicker than before.

"What do you think you're doing?" Harry asked tightly.

"Changing someone's mind," Jared replied calmly. "What did you think this was, arts and crafts time?"

"Stop now," Harry stated evenly, clenching his fists as he moved closer still.

"No, don't think so," Jared replied. "It's far too innocent in here…have to fix that."

"No you won't," Harry hissed, raising his right hand. The crayon was ripped from Jared's grasp and Harry caught it easily, before throwing it to the floor, and crushing it with his foot.

Jared stifled a laugh as he smiled up at Harry.

"Congratulations, you've annihilated a crayon…I surrender. No, wait…I don't," he said, chuckling. "Honestly…did you think it would be so easy?"

"We're leaving now Jared," Harry stated evenly, feeling the energy surge through him as he prepared to release it. "I'm taking you out of here."

"Not so fast," Jared spoke quickly, motioning for Harry to wait as he stood. "If you take me out now, you're going to take your child as well…"

"You're bluffing," Harry shot back icily.

"Suit yourself," Jared shrugged with a laugh. "Let's go then…"

"Explain," Harry demanded curtly. "What did you do? Why would it harm the baby?"

"Harm the…why would I do that?" Jared asked sweetly. "I can't do that, actually. I intend to live here, you know…harming it won't help me any."

"You are not going to live here," Harry stated fiercely. "What good would it do you now? I'm alive…you can't get the crystals…and when the baby is born, it will be without the powers you want so badly…"

"True," Jared said darkly. "I realize this body can't be my permanent one now…but it doesn't matter…it still holds the bloodline. Once the baby is born, and grows…then the next child born from it will be the new Psion."

"Only if I'm dead," Harry stated icily. "And you might have a bit more trouble killing me off now…"

"Oh I'm sure I won't," Jared laughed. "I'll be in this body, after all…your child. Will you be able to kill me then? I think not…and you won't be able to stop me from killing you…"

"Which is why I'm not letting you stay here," Harry said quickly.

"I've already told you," Jared laughed coldly. "If you take me out now…the baby's as good as dead."

Harry opened his mouth to reply…he had to find out what Jared had done, when suddenly the wall they were standing near shifted. A doorway appeared, as well as a window. It looked like brilliant sunshine shown through over an expansive green lawn, and Harry could barely make out a playground in the distance, when suddenly a little girl, who could only be five or six years old, ran through the door…literally. The door remained shut as she passed through, and it all disappeared behind her.

"Jared!" she yelled happily, skidding to a halt as her little white skirt swirled around her legs. Both of her knees looked slightly skinned, and her hands, elbows, and the front of her light purple top were dirty, but she wore a large smile as she spoke to Jared. "I've been waiting…you said you were going to help me find-"

"Sorry, I'm coming," Jared interrupted, sounding like a good-natured, friendly kid all of a sudden as he smiled back at the girl, who looked intensely familiar to Harry…and for a moment…he couldn't move, his heart pounding in his chest. She had long blonde, slightly wavy hair that fell halfway down her back, and the most piercing green eyes…his eyes…this was his child. His daughter.

"Who's that?" the girl asked, when she spotted Harry, who was glued to the spot on which he stood.

"I don't know," Jared shrugged. "He just showed up…"

"Oh," the girl said, glancing curiously between the two, before taking a hesitant step towards Harry.

"I'm Olivia," she smiled. "Who are you?"

Harry opened his mouth…but Jared spoke first.

"Olivia c'mon," he said, with a mischievous grin. "Let's play hide and seek!"

"You're it!" Olivia cried eagerly, smiling widely.

"No…he's it!" Jared said quickly, pointing at Harry.

"No!" Harry choked out, suddenly fearful of what Jared was up to. "Wait, don't…" but it was too late, Olivia had already turned, the door appearing in front of her again as she ran through it, laughing in the anticipation of the game she thought they were playing, and after a triumphant smirk at Harry, Jared set off after her.

The door started to fade at once, and Harry put up a hand, stopping it long enough so he could get through as well.

He didn't step out into the brilliant sunshine he had seen before, however, but instead onto a dark path, dead trees on either side of it, in the middle of the night. There was a cold wind whipping through the air, but he could hear nothing else. Reaching out with his mind, Harry could feel Jared nearby…and set off immediately towards the far end of the pathway, coming to a surprised halt as a man stepped out from the trees, seemingly from nowhere, and coming to a stop about ten feet away.

"Nice, isn't it?" the man asked, gesturing around them. Harry only gritted his teeth.

"Where is she?" he asked angrily, recognizing Jared, only a much older version than he'd seen a moment ago. This Jared was older than he was, with bits of grey speckled through his light brown hair, and wearing a long black coat, which hung to his ankles. His eyes were now black.

"She's hiding from you," Jared laughed, his voice much deeper…and menacing. "Feel free to play if you like…it won't be much longer now."

"Why is she talking to you?" Harry asked. "Why is she six years old? And why does she have a name?"

"She told me the name," Jared shrugged. " And she's not six, she only appears to be. You're not seeing her…you're seeing the form her mind has taken…because I need her mind to grow a bit before I finally take control," Jared grinned. "I just gave her a push…that's all…I'm teaching her, you could say…"

Harry had to force himself not to lash out at Jared. If there was any ounce of truth whatsoever in the notion that hurting him would hurt his daughter…then he couldn't chance it.

"Not talking now, are we?" Jared asked, seemingly bored. "Then I guess I'll be on my way…"

"Wait," Harry started, reaching out with his right hand and stepping forward. "What did you do to her? What did you change?"

Jared stared back at Harry for a moment, before laughing quietly.

"It's quite polite of you to ask so nicely, really…it is. But please understand that, I can't tell you…"

"I thought you might say that," Harry said coolly, taking another step forward, and Jared seemed to suddenly notice he was coming closer. He started to step back, not realizing Harry had already had a hold on him. With a swift clench of the fingers on Harry's outstretched hand, Jared couldn't move.

"You don't want to do this," the older man said quickly, nervously as Harry stepped up to him. "If you hurt me…"

"I'm not going to hurt you," Harry said stiffly, not wasting any time as he reached out again, but this time with his mind. He had to find a way to get Jared out of here…and since only Jared knew this information, he'd have to search the source…

Before he could even scratch the surface, however, Jared suddenly pushed out at Harry…with both his own mind, and Olivia's…Harry felt the two of them…mingled, and his stomach twisted.

"Try that again," Jared hissed furiously, staggering back a pace as Harry released the hold on him. "And you'll regret it…"

"Jared," Harry began, hatefully, seething with anger, "I swear if you…"

"Sorry, must run," Jared interrupted, backing sideways off the path before disappearing into the trees.

Harry started after him immediately, when an excited squeal from further up the path caught his attention, and he looked up.

Olivia was standing there, looking ready to run as she stared at him.

"Can't catch me!" she taunted playfully, daring him to come after her.

"Olivia, wait!" Harry called, starting slowly up the path, hoping she would see he wasn't playing, but she only shrieked in excitement, and ran off in the opposite direction.

Harry didn't have a choice, setting off quickly now, he raced up the path, closing the gap between them. Olivia only laughed as she saw him growing closer, but before he could fully reach her, she turned suddenly, and ran off the path…vanishing into the deadened trees.

Without hesitation, Harry turned off after her, racing through the trees, not feeling it as the dead branches whipped against his face, and coming out next to what looked like a jungle gym in a playground, in the middle of the day. Whether or not it was the one he'd seen earlier from the window, he had no idea, but he didn't care. Olivia was busy trying to climb across the ladder rungs that hung high in the air, he had a chance to talk with her…and hopefully she wouldn't run when she saw him…

As he stepped towards the play set, Harry had an idea…Jared, it appeared, had won Olivia's trust by taking on the form of a child…

In a flash, Harry felt his form taking on a new shape. His arms shrunk…his legs shrunk…everything became smaller. And less than thirty seconds after he'd first thought it, Harry was seven years old again.

"Hi!" he called out, smiling, just as Olivia jumped down from the rungs, standing and dusting herself off carelessly as she looked up at him.

"Who are you?" she asked curiously.

"I'm Harry."

"Hi," she replied. "I'm Olivia."

"What were you doing, Olivia?" Harry asked innocently.

"Um…playing hide and seek…but the man didn't want to play, I think."

"Oh," Harry nodded. "Well we can play something then," he ventured.

"Like what?" she asked, her eyes lighting up.

"I don't know," Harry grinned. "What were you doing before you played hide and seek?"

Olivia seemed to consider for a moment, before her hands flew to her face and she gasped eagerly.

"The puppy! Jared and I were supposed to find her!"

"Puppy?" Harry asked, confused.

"She got out of my room when Jared came," Olivia explained, already setting off across the lush grass, looking around as she went.

"Oh," Harry replied, masking the suspicion he was suddenly feeling. What did a puppy have to do with anything? If it escaped when Jared arrived that could only mean he needed it away from that spot…

"Want to help?" Olivia asked then, bending down and looking under some bushes.

"Sure," Harry replied with a grin, anxious to do so. This could be it, the way around Jared. "What's her name?"

"I don't know," Olivia shrugged, not too concerned over this fact.

"Olivia, I've been looking for you!"

Harry looked up sharply to see the younger version of Jared walking towards them again, and he tensed, ready to do whatever it took should he try anything.

"Hello Jared," Olivia smiled pleasantly.

"There's something I want to show you…it's really wicked," Jared began, gesturing for Olivia to come with him, ignoring Harry.

"Really?" Olivia asked, excitedly. "What?"

"It's just over this way," Jared began, taking her by the arm, but that's where Harry stepped in.

"Olivia wait, what about the puppy?" he asked, gently tapping her other arm to get her attention.

"She'll be fine," Jared brushed him off quickly, trying to pull Olivia away. "It's really warm out…she'll want to play…"

Harry glanced up at the sky at once, and in the next second, grey clouds began to emerge, as the sun was blotted out.

"You know, when you do that, you're changing her mind too…" Jared hissed angrily, finally looking at Harry.

Harry didn't reply. He'd known that anything he changed in here was part of his daughter…but he felt it was necessary at that moment…

"Oh no," Olivia said in dismay, frowning up at the sky. "Jared, we have to find her now…she might catch a cold if it rains."

Shooting Harry a dark glare, Jared nodded stiffly, before turning back to the small girl.

"Alright," he began, forcing a smile to his lips. "I think I heard her back this way though…" he trailed off, his face growing pale as the sound of a small dog's yapping sounded from a short distance away…opposite from where he'd been trying to make them go.

"That's her!" Olivia cried excitedly, starting off in the direction of the noise.

"Olivia…wait!" Jared called helplessly after her, but she paid no attention. Harry looked at him cautiously, wanting to follow his daughter…but wanting to see what Jared was going to do as well. Suddenly Jared set off at a dead run, and Harry immediately gave chase. The two boys tore recklessly across the grass, passing a beach filled with palm trees, and an elegantly decorated ballroom. They skimmed the edge of a desert at night and barely missed going down a city street lined with shops, as they caught the sound of Olivia's voice from just a bit ahead of them.

Finally Harry saw her again, they had bolted between a set of marble pillars that held up nothing, and everything changed. They were in a dungeon…straight out of a fairytale, complete with spiders, bats, fire, chains, candles…and an enormous green dragon. Harry inhaled sharply…feeling his heart skip a beat. Olivia was far too close to the towering creature, several stories below where he and Jared stood, kneeling down and looking through the crack under the room's only doorway. Harry assumed the puppy must have squeezed through there, as the small girl paid no attention to the enormous beast coming up behind her, swiping at the air furiously, as the sound of excited barking echoed through the room.

"You lose," Jared laughed then, seeming perfectly happy with the scene before them. "Welcome to the back of your daughter's mind, Harry Potter…in a few minutes, she's going to be here forever…and nothing you can do will ever set her free…she'll be under my complete control."

Harry clenched his hands into fists and forced his breathing to slow…he wasn't going to let this happen. Racing forward down the stairs to his right, Harry glanced at the dragon, wondering if it was something he could hurt without hurting his daughter…but he had to do something…it was nearly on top of her now, smoke flaring from its nose.

Looking quickly to Olivia, he saw she still seemed oblivious to this fact, as she finally pushed herself up from the floor and reached for the handle to the door. Good, Harry thought, at least if she can make it in there…the dragon couldn't follow…it would buy him time to figure this out.

As his eyes swept back towards the monster, however, the barking noise echoed through his head, and Harry suddenly realized something…and as he fixed his eyes on the large creature, watching it's almost playful movements, he became certain. In that moment, knew exactly what he had to do.

Grabbing hold of the wooden railing beside him, Harry hauled himself over the edge and leapt to the floor, still several feet below. The moment he touched the ground he set off at breakneck speed, straight for Olivia.

She was swinging the door open now…he had only seconds left, and felt a sudden rush of adrenaline as she began to move into the doorway she'd opened.

Harry didn't bother to slow as he grew closer, and with a loud crack, and a surprised shriek from Olivia, he slammed full-force into the heavy wooden door with his shoulder, but managed to block her path.

"Harry!" she cried, anxiously. "What-?"

"I'm sorry Olivia," he said breathlessly, ignoring the pain, straightening himself up. "But that room isn't safe…you have to stay out here."

She gave him a questioning look.

"What's not safe about it?"

"The door might lock," Harry replied, honestly. "Wouldn't want to get stuck in there, would you?" he grinned, and Olivia smiled then.

"No, that'd be bad," she replied, knowingly, glancing away from him as something caught her eye.

"Jared you found her!" she cried excitedly, and Harry spun to see the fuming boy holding a small white puppy with a green collar, and glaring at him. There was no dragon in sight.

"How did you know?" he hissed darkly at Harry.

"The dragon was waiting too long," Harry replied icily. "Olivia was here before we were…it had some time."

"And that was all you based it on?" Jared asked incredulously. "What if the dragon had been real? You'd both be dead…"

"You told me you couldn't harm her," Harry stated evenly. "You said you couldn't hurt her because otherwise you couldn't live here. You'd never let her near a real dragon. Oh…and it was barking."

"Clever," Jared said quietly.

"Isn't it?" Harry shot back. "You knew once she told me about the puppy I would want to find it…so you pretended to want to lead us away, when in actuality you wanted us to follow the trail…the sound of barking…that way Olivia would walk into your little cell, hearing her puppy, but not seeing her…you knew she'd search…"

"What are you talking about?" Olivia said, looking back and forth between the two boys, confused.

"You still lose, Potter," Jared stated sharply. "The dog is the key…the only way back to the center of this mind…"

"Puppy!" Olivia cried out then, obviously bored with the argument around her. "Here puppy!"

Jared's face grew pale as he struggled to keep his grasp with his small hands, but couldn't hold the tiny animal as it squirmed against his grip, not having expected the sudden struggle. Finally he let out a yelp, as the tiny dog closed its teeth over his thumb, dropping it instinctively. The dog scrambled to its feet and raced to where Olivia was crouched, arms outstretched. Harry couldn't help but grin as he saw the large smile spreading across his daughter's face, but as her hands touched the dog, the room went blindingly bright for a brief moment, before softly fading into quiet darkness.

As his eyes adjusted to the change, Harry blinked slowly, gazing at his new surroundings. He was in a light pink room, with a tiny white crib in the center of it.

He barely had time to register that he was now back to his regular age again, before his eyes settled on the floor, and the delicate baby resting peacefully at his feet.

Slowly, gently, Harry leant over, and lifted the tiny, fragile girl into his hands, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride and joy swelling in his chest…for a long moment, he simply held her in his arms…before placing her gently down into the crib, smiling to see her clutching tightly to a small, stuffed white dog.

He wanted to stay and sit with her…hold her for hours on end…but he knew he couldn't. There was too much to do, and there would be time enough for that later…

Reluctantly turning away from the little girl, Harry started away from the small crib, and towards two large double doors. He slipped silently through, shutting them gently behind him, and turned to see the older Jared standing just a few feet away, his black eyes flashing dangerously.

"I'm not leaving," he said vehemently before Harry could utter a word. Harry only smiled wanly at him for a moment, before speaking quietly.

"You are," he replied coolly, pausing briefly before going on. "The puppy was the key, that's what you said, right?"

Jared didn't reply, glaring in hatred.

"I'm just trying to understand," Harry went on, casually, allowing a small laugh to escape him. "I mean…do we all have a puppy in our minds somewhere? Is that how that works?"

"It's what I used to get her to leave the room," Jared said stiffly. "The stupid stuffed animal…she loved it…so I turned it into a real dog for her…and then I let it out. She left the room to go find it…so it became her key back."

"And that's why you kept distracting her," Harry stated knowingly. "You waited until the dog…the key…was where you wanted Olivia to be before letting her know where it was…" he trailed off, pausing a brief moment. "Why not just put the dog in that cell you wanted her to walk into? Why the whole dragon façade?"

Jared looked away, fuming, his eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

"It was because of me, wasn't it?" Harry asked, suddenly realizing. "Something to keep me occupied while Olivia walked into your trap…you wanted me to fight it…two birds with one stone, right? My daughter would be trapped, and the key would be destroyed."

"It's still going to be destroyed," Jared hissed darkly, his black eyes finally shifting away from Harry's, to the double doors which led to the room. The latch clicked, and Harry heard the doors start to open, but with deadly resolve, he reached out, feeling the air around him, sensing Jared's power, and pushing it away. The doors swung shut slowly, and Jared's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Time to go," Harry said icily, taking a step forward.

"No!" Jared shrieked, enraged. With a furious swipe of his hand, he formed a large ball of flames, and held it, threateningly. Harry froze.

"If I can't have this mind, I'm going to destroy it…" he spat, releasing the fire from his grasp, straight towards the baby's room. Harry lifted a hand, easily halting the progress of the flames, and extinguishing them in mid-air.

Jared seemed to be expecting this however, and had already formed another fire, tossing it towards the far corner of the room they were in right now. Harry reached out, barely halting its movement before it slammed into the wall, and quenched it. But Jared was prepared again…he was forming the balled infernos at an alarmingly fast rate now, and sending them out every which way…Harry felt his stomach twist…he couldn't catch them all, and he knew it, but he hadn't lost yet.

Shutting his eyes gently, Harry took a long deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs completely, tuning out everything around him, waiting…until there was only him, and utter silence, before slowly, purposely, releasing it, along with an icy chill that spread fiercely over the room. All of the flames were instantly choked out of existence and Jared let out an enraged scream.

"Quiet," Harry stated, his tone calm and deadly as he glared at the dark wizard. "You'll wake her."

Jared took a step back, his face contorted in a grimace of fury, but Harry could feel him suddenly drawing together an enormous amount of power. At first, he feared it was another attempt to harm the baby, but suddenly realized Jared was going to make a break for it…he was planning on leaving. Harry knew at once what he had to do. If Jared made it out, Tom Riddle was so close he could easily take him over once more…and should he decide not to use that body again…Hadley might be near enough as well…

Harry reached out, waiting patiently, masking all emotion on his face, as Jared continued to step further away, a sly grin slowly spreading across his lips…he believed he was going to get away with it.

With just seconds remaining, Harry raised his left hand slowly, and pushed out, watching as a thin, petite, seeming flimsy bubble formed in his palm, before raising his eyes again to Jared. In the same instant that the dark man tried to make the jump, to escape, Harry's right hand flung out, and he pulled…pulled with all of his strength, calling out with his mind and forcing Jared towards him.

The anger that spread across the older wizard's face was quickly overcome by fear as he realized he couldn't get away. He was trapped, struggling in an invisible hold. Screaming obscenities, Jared thrashed about wildly, madly, but it did no good, and as he finally neared Harry, he turned on him imploringly.

"Don't do this Harry, you can't…I know you won't…I'll die…"

"You tried to kill me," Harry stated calmly, evenly, and Jared shook his head.

"It wasn't personal…and look, you're alive, right?" he laughed nervously. "The cult knows everything…they aren't after you anymore…"

Harry laughed, emptily, his eyes cold as he held Jared's fearful gaze.

"So you think that makes everything alright?" he asked, stiffly, his words dripping with poison as he continued. "I don't care that you went after me…but I do care about my friends. One of them is dead," he stated, feeling a small shake in his voice, and forcing it back as he went on. "Another was tortured…horrifyingly tortured. You helped set up an innocent man for murder, you've killed innocent people, you planned to take vengeance on those you believe betrayed you, by means of a little girl who never did anything to you. And you kidnapped my fiancée…the woman I love…and threatened the life of my child. Maybe it's nothing personal to you, but to me it is. This ends now," he stated coldly.

"You…you can't…" Jared pleaded, his black eyes becoming hazel again as he gazed up at Harry. He started to become younger, taking on the form of a little boy once more. "It's not in you to kill someone…I know it…" he stated, his voice shaking.

"You think so?" Harry asked, his voice so quiet it was barely above a whisper, and Jared's eyes only widened.

"It would be murder…I'm defenseless…" he explained frantically.

"It would be," Harry agreed, nodding slowly, and a mixture of triumph and relief seemed to wash over Jared's face. "But," Harry continued then, and the boy visibly tensed in the invisible hold he was under. "You're already dead," Harry stated emotionlessly. "Albus Dumbledore killed you over fifty years ago. You don't have a body, or a soul, for that matter…you're a leech…a parasite…the only way you can survive is by living off of others…but that ends now."

"Wait…Harry…" Jared began, earnestly. Harry only glanced down at the tiny bubble in his left hand, watching as it took on a soft white glow.

"No!" Jared screamed finally, letting all of his rage fill him as he began to grow again, but it didn't matter…

The sound of air being sucked through a small opening filled the room, and Jared cried out in pain and rage. He lashed out at Harry trying to claw at him, hit him, kick him…he didn't want to go down alone…but he was powerless against the forces pulling against him. Harry held up the bubble higher then, and Jared began to crumble…literally. Pieces of his face, his arms, his chest…everything, began to flake away…and Harry could see straight through him in these places.

The wind became higher…almost deafeningly so, as Jared screamed, but his voice was drowned out, and soon his form simply gave out, scattering into a billion tiny particles of dust, that were immediately caught up in the pull, and drawn into the bubble that Harry held.

With a resonating pop, everything stopped. Harry looked emotionlessly at the bubble in his hand, its pristine white sheen gone now, having been replaced with a muddy brownish red one. He could feel Jared struggling, frantically, the dust within the small cell thrashing about, trying to force through, but it was no use.

Letting out a long shaky breath, Harry glanced quietly towards the double doors again, and the peaceful darkness in which his daughter's mind rested before pulling his gaze away. Closing his eyes, Harry relaxed at last, and let the flow of his body pull at him, drawing him back out…and into himself again.

Harry opened his eyes slowly, his vision a blur, and he could barely make out the shape of someone hovering over him.

"Harry!" Mel's anxious voice cried out as he blinked, forcing his eyes to focus. He realized he was on the floor…he must've fallen after he'd left his body. He could feel Mel's arms around him, cradling him…her body felt so tense against his as he gazed up into her eyes.

"Is the baby alright?" she asked at once, her deep blue eyes looking back at him, imploringly.

Harry smiled softly and gave a faint nod.

"She's fine," he whispered, raising his arm and taking one of Mel's hands in his. "She's safe now."

"She?" Mel repeated, a hopeful smile spreading over her face.

Harry nodded, and Mel let out a joyful laugh as happy tears scarcely streaked her face.

"A daughter," Mel said contentedly as Harry finally pushed himself up, turning so he was seated beside her on the stone floor. "Our daughter."

"And I have a hunch you already have a name in mind," Harry grinned, slipping one arm around her waist, his green eyes glinting happily as she looked up into them, and his smile widening as she blushed.

"Well…we can pick one together, of course," she began quickly.

"I don't know," Harry said softly. "I'm sort of fond of the name Olivia…"

A look of surprise crossed Mel's face, before she smiled, curiously.

"How did you know…?"

"I'll tell you later," Harry said gently. Mel started to nod, but stopped suddenly, the tense look returning to her eyes.

"What about Jared?" she asked stiffly, a hint of fear entering her voice. "What if he tries to get her again?"

"He won't," Harry replied gently, shaking his head. "He can't."

Mel looked at him, her eyes searching his for a long moment, in silence, and finally Harry continued on.

"I'll tell you everything," he began, seeing that she believed him, but wanted to know what had happened. "I swear I will. But first we have to…" he trailed off at the sound of voices in the hall outside the room and started to stand as the door was slammed open, but felt a wave of relief at seeing who'd entered.

Minerva and Snape strode in, wands ready, but lowered them quickly as they spotted Harry and Mel.

"Thank goodness you're both alright!" McGonagall exclaimed with relief as Harry finally got to his feet, helping Mel up as well, and turning to see the two professors.

"It's good to see both of you too," Harry smiled widely.

"What is he doing down here?" Snape spoke up then, and Harry followed his questioning gaze to the bed a short distance to his left.

"Oh my…Devon!" McGonagall exclaimed, worriedly as she started across to the small boy.

"No, Minerva," Harry said quietly. "That's not Devon…it's Tom Riddle."

For a brief moment, a dead silence settled over the room, and Harry could see the surprise and confusion on the faces around him, before Mel's shocked voice spoke up.

"Then…then he's…" she stammered, and Harry nodded gravely.

"Voldemort," he finished for her, quietly. "Or at least…he could be. Though when he wakes up…he won't even know what that name means yet."

"But how?" Snape asked sharply.

"Long story," Harry replied. "And before we get into that…I think we need to find the others…" he trailed off, thinking of Ron again…and his throat was suddenly so tight he couldn't speak. Mel noticed the change, and looked up at him, concernedly.

"Severus," Minerva spoke up then. "Please take … Tom, up to the hospital wing. We will have to speak to him when he awakens."

Nodding curtly, Snape crossed quickly to the bed, conjuring a stretcher and easily transferring the boy's limp form to it, before silently exiting the room.

"Harry what is it?" Mel finally asked, seeing the grief Harry was feeling clearly in his eyes, despite his attempts at masking it.

"Yes, is everything alright Mr. Potter?" Minerva asked, noticing as well.

"What about the others?" Harry asked suddenly, forcing his strained voice to remain steady…not prepared to go into that particular explanation yet. "Sirius, Albus…Marzia. Someone has to make sure they're alright…"

"I spoke to Troy not long ago," Minerva replied at once. "From what he told me it sounds like his talk with the cult went fairly well…and that you, yourself asked him if they would help. Several of them should be at the prison already."

Instinctively, not even realizing what he was doing at first, Harry suddenly reached out with his mind…he had to be sure…

In the space of mere seconds, Harry found his godfather, felt him, with Marzia at his side and Dumbledore there as well. The three of them were still at the prison…but Harry couldn't feel apprehension or worry on any of their minds…instead there was only calm relief and determination. If they had been in danger, it appeared that it was gone…and now he knew what he needed to…they were safe. Letting himself drift back into focus, Harry looked towards Minerva, and she looked back at him, curiously. Taking a long breath, he let it out shakily, before speaking again.

"Did Troy happen to…to mention anything else…?" he asked stiffly, feeling thick emotion rising once more in his throat, threatening to spill over…but he couldn't bring himself to say it…

"We didn't have much time," McGonagall stated quickly, her eyes searching his as she spoke. "Troy was helping Mr. Weasley to the hospital wing…I'm sure you can-"

"Wait…what?" Harry interrupted, confused and hopeful, as his eyes grew wide. "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry," Minerva replied with a grin, obviously assuming Harry's concern was over his friend needing to go to the hospital wing, having no idea that in actuality Harry had believed Ron dead. "Mr. Weasley has a nasty cut on his head, and he's a bit dizzy…but Poppy will take care of it right away."

"You mean…he's okay?" Harry asked, his heart leaping within his chest. "He's alright?"

"Mr. Potter I just told you-" Minerva began, impatiently, but she never got to finish, as Harry stepped forward, throwing his arms around her in a fierce hug. For a split second, McGonagall's eyes widened in complete and total surprise, before Harry released her.

"Will you be explaining this later too?" Mel asked in curious amusement as he turned to face her again. Harry simply beamed back at her, too happy at that moment to even think about forming words, let alone speaking, and quickly embraced her as well, lifting her easily off her feet and spinning around twice, before setting her gently on the floor again as she giggled.

"If you're quite ready…" McGonagall began seriously, but unable to completely hide the happiness in her tone. She obviously had no idea why Harry was suddenly behaving this way…but it was definitely contagious. "I think it would be best for both of you to visit Poppy as well."

"Yes, I'm sorry," Harry replied at once, followed by an uncontrollable short burst of laughter. Ron was alive! Somehow he'd survived, and Harry could hardly wait to see his friend…his best friend… Clearing his throat again, he tried to put on a straight face.

"Right then," he nodded, stifling a grin, never having felt more eager in his life about visiting the hospital wing. "Let's go."

As they moved quickly through the corridors, Harry noticed with relief, that the rest of the professors seemed to be combing the halls, searching for any remaining intruders. Adrik's body had been taken from the spot Harry left it, and he supposed Lilith and Oren had been rounded up as well. McGonagall explained, on the way, how she and the other professors had been quite surprised when Shadow Walkers released them from their cells. Their wands were returned to them, and the death eaters who had been guarding them were nowhere to be seen.

One of the shadows notified her of Troy's location, and after asking the rest of the instructors to do a thorough search of the castle, she and Snape had started downstairs. They'd met Troy and Ron about halfway there, however, and that was how they'd known where to find Harry and Mel.

"What about Draco?" Harry asked then, realizing Minerva had yet to mention his name. "Was he there as well?"

"No, I didn't see him," McGonagall replied quickly. "I didn't speak with Troy for very long though. He told me that the Shadow Walkers were on their way to help Albus…but when he told me where you had gone, I wanted to get downstairs straight away. Though it seems you didn't need much help…"

Harry was barely hearing her words anymore, however. Draco hadn't been with Troy and Ron…and Ron was alive… At first Harry had just assumed something had gone wrong with the barrier…allowing Ron to survive with just the injury Minerva had mentioned…as surely Draco never would have given up his life…sacrificed himself…would he?

Ignoring the questioning looks he was receiving from both sides, Harry quickened his pace. He had to find out what had really happened with the barrier…

The three reached the hospital wing only a short while later, and as Harry started to push open one of the large double doors he was forced to step back, when someone did the same from the opposite side.

"Troy!" Harry said quickly, seeing the redhead halt in mid step….

"You're alright," Troy observed with a smirk, looking mildly surprised at seeing Harry standing before him.

"What about Draco?" Harry asked hastily…needing to know. "Minerva said you brought Ron back here but…" he trailed off, seeing the transfiguration professor shake his head slowly. Harry felt his throat go dry…

"What happened to Draco?" McGonagall's voice spoke up then, as she narrowed her eyes apprehensively.

Harry tore his eyes away from Troy, turning quickly to the headmistress.

"He's dead," Harry spoke quietly, feeling a surprisingly strong wave of grief pass through him.

"How?" Mel whispered, her eyes going wide with shock and sadness, and Harry slipped a hand into hers, squeezing it gently.

"It'll be too confusing to explain right now," Harry said quietly, not entirely sure himself, exactly what had happened after he'd left the room with the Orb. "Is Ron alright?" he asked, glancing back at Troy.

"He seemed well enough, yes," the transfiguration professor nodded. "And he should be able to have visitors…but I can't stay, I have to report back to Castor…"

"Castor's here?" Harry asked, his eyes going wide. He didn't like the idea of him in the school…

"He was," Troy stated quickly. "I think he's at the prison helping the others now though…but they should be back soon enough…oh and both Ginny and Hadley have been brought in…and not a moment too soon either…"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked worriedly. "What happened?"

"Apparently someone decided to send the dementors after Hadley again…they were in your house, Harry…"

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat, and beside him, Mel tensed.

"They managed to hold the dementors off though," Troy continued, smirking slightly. "From what I was told, they knew how to cast a Patronus…a rough one…but solid enough to buy them some time. The shadows found them upstairs, in the furthest room, after they arrived and took care of the dementors…and Madam Pomfrey has already gotten both girls settled in now, I believe. All that's left is to finish up at Nabakza…Pollux said that would be as much as he would allow though…for anything else you're on your own…sorry."

"Tell him thank you," Harry said sincerely. "It might have turned out much worse if they hadn't helped…"

"Well consider it repaying a favor," Troy said quickly. "The Orb was returned to them…and after what you did, I'm sure Pollux will admit to having been wrong in suspecting you…even without finding the real Jared…they can't sense him in the school…or anywhere nearby…"

Harry immediately reached into his pocket, feeling for half a second, before closing his fingers around what he was looking for. Bringing up his hand, Harry extended it towards Troy, opening it to reveal a small delicate looking ball, filled with what appeared to be murky brownish red ooze…

"That's…um…foul looking…" Troy stated evenly, staring disgustedly at the object. "What is it?"

"Jared," Harry replied quietly. "Or what's left of him…"

For a brief moment, a shocked silence settled over the small group, but was ended abruptly as Troy let out a light laugh, smirking at Harry as he finally reached out to take the bubble.

"Nice work," he said sincerely, examining the small round object before sliding it gently into his pocket.

"Minerva!" an anxious voice called out then, causing the four of them to turn towards it. Harry saw Professor Flitwick moving as quickly as his short legs would carry him, towards the headmistress.

"What is it Filius?" she asked, not failing to hear the urgency in his voice.

"Someone's arrived at the school," he stated breathlessly as he reached her, "the floo in your office was just used…several of the instructors are already on their way to investigate…"

Reaching out, Harry traveled the halls in his mind, reaching the head office and feeling inside…

"It's Sirius," he said at once, snapping back into himself. "And Marzia…they're all coming…" he trailed off smiling; glad they were okay.

Minerva looked at him questioningly, but knew that asking him what he'd just done was only going to be answered with another promise of telling her later, so instead she shook the question from her mind for the time being.

"Whatever the case may be, I should get upstairs to make sure everything is alright…and it's time the both of you got rest," she added, staring pointedly at Harry and Mel.

"And I need to get back now," Troy spoke up. "If Sirius and the others are arriving then Castor will be waiting to see me."

He started down the hallway then, telling Minerva he promised to come see her after…while the headmistress then started off in the opposite direction, Flitwick rushing along beside her, heading towards her office.

Harry sighed inwardly…it had been such a long day…but strangely, he'd never felt more awake…or energetic…then he did at this moment. After all that had happened he knew he should be ready to fall flat on his face right now…but instead, he felt ready to run out and play a game or ten of Quidditch.

As he felt Mel slipping her arms around his middle though, his thoughts came back to the moment, and he hugged her back tightly.

"How did this happen?" she whispered. "We all could have died…one of us did…and I have no idea how or why…" she shuddered in his grasp, and Harry leant down, kissing the top of her forehead before resting his chin again her soft hair.

"I promise I'll tell you everything," he whispered back. "But Minerva's right…I think you should see Madam Pomfrey now…"

Perhaps because she was too weak to argue, Mel simply nodded against his chest, allowing him to lead her into the hospital wing. Poppy was on top of them the moment they'd entered, and after just a few moments, was busy ushering Mel away from Harry, towards a bed. She, of course, believed Harry needed to be checked as well, but he brushed her off, and after a minimal amount of nagging, finally managed to get her to tell him what room Ron was in…

Promising Mel he'd be back soon, Harry set off through the hospital wing…going up just one floor and down a short hall, before knocking lightly on the door he'd been looking for, and pushing it open.

"Harry," Ron smiled wanly, leaning back against several soft, fluffy pillows, a large bandage wrapped neatly around the right side of his head, but besides looking slightly pale, he seemed fine. "How's Mel?"

"Downstairs right now, being fussed over by Poppy, no doubt," Harry grinned in reply, inwardly overjoyed at seeing his friend looking so well. He came up beside the bed and lowered himself into a chair, before turning serious. "Are you alright?" he asked concernedly. Ron snickered emptily.

"I have no right to complain, really…I'm alive…" he said quietly.

"How did you get that?" Harry asked, his eyes flickering to the bandage before meeting Ron's gaze again.

"Draco," Ron replied quietly, shaking his head faintly, a look of mild disbelief on his face. "Can you understand that? Because I can't… Why? What would make him…make him…?"

"Take your place?" Harry finished, gently.

"He hates me," Ron said simply. "Or…well, he did…hate me…"

"He hated me too," Harry said quietly. "But Draco hasn't been the same since last year…and it wasn't an immediate change either. But it really started after his fight with his father…the day Lucius found out Draco was the defender…"

"But still," Ron began, "With all that's been happening over the past few months…Malfoy's done nothing except make it clear how much he didn't want to help us…" he trailed off, a mixture of confusion and guilt in his eyes, as a brief silence settled over the two friends.

"I don't know why he did it Ron," Harry said at last, seeing the questions eating away at the injured wizard "And I wish there'd been some way to make it so nobody had to die…"

"I do too," Ron whispered, his eyes dropping to gaze at the sheets.

"I…I think I might…" Harry began slowly. "I'll miss him," he finally stated, deciding there was no other way to say it. "I hated him for so long…but today I would have called him my friend."

Ron looked up at him for a long moment, his expression unreadable…before he finally nodded slowly.

"I would've too…" he trailed off, solemnly…but after a moment, he snickered, and Harry looked at him questioningly.

"Well," Ron began, a small grin on his face. "You know he had to enjoy one thing anyway…he did get to smash me in the head on his way out…stupid git…he used a fairly large stone too…it really hurt…"

"Oh shut up," Harry laughed, rolling his eyes. "That bump on your head is part of the reason you're alive…" he trailed off as the sound of the door opening caught his attention and both men looked towards the entrance…

"Dad," Ron smiled as Arthur Weasley stepped quietly into the room, gently shutting the door behind him.

"Minerva told me you'd be here," Arthur began, looking concernedly at his son as he came up to the bed. He glimpsed at Harry and nodded. "Hello Harry…you're doing well, I hope?"

"Yes, thank you," Harry replied politely, starting to stand from his chair. "I'll leave you two so you can talk…"

"I can't stay too long," Arthur said apologetically, looking down again at his son. "I need to get back to the ministry, Dumbledore's there already…"

"He is?" both Harry and Ron asked in unison.

"Well, his name was cleared when Thurston tried to accuse you," Arthur explained, glancing at Harry. "Once we made it out of the prison, Albus refused to go anywhere other than the ministry, after he knew Hogwarts was out of danger, that is. He's got a lot of work to do though…oh, and Harry…Sirius mentioned you had something that would help us…the vrid…"

"Oh…yes, of course," Harry nodded, fumbling around in his pockets for the tiny, thin item, nearly having forgotten he even had it. It felt like ages ago that he'd used it…but it'd been less than twelve hours… He handed it to Arthur, who immediately tucked it away in his pocket.

After saying his goodnight to Ron, and thanking Mr. Weasley for everything he'd done to help, Harry quietly exited the room, leaving father and son to talk. As he walked back through the hospital wing, Harry reached out through his mind…feeling Hadley and Ginny were nearby. He made his way to their room, only to find both girls sleeping soundly, the remains of a sleeping potion on the bedside table near each of them.

Smiling gently, he shut the door, and continued on his way, searching out Hermione next. She was asleep as well, but her breathing was a bit jagged and her brow was creased tensely as she whimpered in her slumber. Stepping fully into the comfortably dim room, Harry crossed to his friend, concerned. Her long brown hair was damp, and several strands were sticking to her face from sweat. The pillow beneath her head was balled up and wrinkled, and the covers were in a heap at the foot of the bed. One of her hands was hanging off the side, while the other was clutching at her stomach, visible under a bunched up night shirt, where a large gauze had been wrapped around her middle several times. Madam Pomfrey had done all she could to help, Harry could tell, and had tried to make Hermione as comfortable as possible…but whatever medicine was used would still take a while before she was fully healed…and he could see she was feeling some pain.

Reaching down gently, Harry wiped the few sweaty strands of hair back away from his friend's face, and smoothed out the pillow as best he could without disturbing her. Then, moving his hands towards the bandages, Harry felt his palms grow warm as he drew on the power within him, and softly rested his fingers against her stomach.

Hermione inhaled sharply in her sleep, but as she breathed out, it was suddenly smooth and even. The crease in her forehead slowly vanished and the tension in her body seemed to ease at once. As he pulled his hands away, Harry looked lovingly down upon his friend, relieved to see, even in the dim light, some of the color return to her face. Reaching down, he smoothed out the blankets near her feet, and drew them up over her, tucking her gently in. He leant down quickly, giving her a kiss on the forehead, hearing her sigh contentedly in her sleep, before finally stepping away from the bed, and quietly exiting the room.

As he reached the main floor of the hospital wing once again, he crossed to the bed that Poppy had brought Mel to earlier, and found she was sound asleep as well. Smiling softly, Harry settled into a chair beside his fiancé, and relaxed. He could sense everything around him…throughout the entire castle…and knew they were safe. The death eaters, the skeins…Oren, Lilith…even Wormtail…none of them were there any longer. He didn't know how many had been captured and how many had escaped…but at the moment his only concern was that the people he loved were safe, and they were.

The sound of light footsteps approaching caused Harry to glance up, and he grinned lightly as he saw his godfather coming towards him.

"How is she?" Sirius whispered, nodding faintly towards Mel as he neared the bed.

"She wasn't injured," Harry replied quietly, "though I'm sure she's confused…and scared…"

"I think we all are a bit," Sirius stated gently. "I can't tell you how much of a shock it was to have the cult show up…even more of one when we realized they were there to help us…"

"It worked out alright then?" Harry asked. "Is Marzia okay? And how was Albus when you got there?"

"Marzia is fine," Sirius nodded with a grin. "She's a fighter, my wife is," he chuckled, finally lowering himself into the seat beside Harry. "And thanks to Arthur, we were able to take the ministry entrance into the prison…though Albus had already been taken from his cell by the time we arrived. They'd brought him downstairs, and my guess is, they were waiting for orders from Thurston…or maybe Jared…but either way, Albus knew something was up. When we finally found him, it was easy enough to get past the guards and get in…but getting out was going to be a problem…there were too many guards…more than there should've been…but before they got to us, the Shadow Walkers showed up…and like I said, it was a bit more than just unexpected. But they didn't say anything…and it was because of them that we were able to get out of there…in one piece, anyway," he grinned, wryly.

"They really did come through for us," Harry mused quietly.

"They did," Sirius nodded, eyeing his godson curiously before continuing. "Any ideas on why that is? When I left for Nabakza the cult was still after Jared, and as far as we knew, still believed that was you…I come back to find out they're helping us and you're the one who asked them to."

"Well no, I asked Troy to ask them," Harry said quickly. "But the rest is a long story Sirius…and I'd really rather explain it all later…"

"Can I ask about Jared, at least?" Sirius spoke quietly. "Minerva also mentioned a tiny bubble, with what you apparently said was what was left of him…"

"I can tell you he's gone…for good, this time," Harry said evenly.

Sirius was silent for a moment, simply staring at his godson, as if trying to read him…but finally looked away, and Harry heard him sigh quietly as his gaze fell to the floor.

"Harry," Sirius spoke quietly, sounding a bit nervous, "about before…when we…" he trailed off, looking back up at his godson, apologetically, "when we locked you in the school…"

"Sirius, forget it," Harry said gently…honestly not angry any more over it. Too much had happened since then.

"I'm sorry," Sirius went on anyway, his gaze locked with Harry's. "It was wrong of me to do that to you…because you were right…if it had been Marzia, and I couldn't get to her…" he trailed off, shaking his head, seeming ashamed.

"You thought you were doing the right thing," Harry said quietly. "And maybe you were," he added quickly. "But either way, it's passed now…and I'm not mad at you for it…"

Sirius looked hesitant to believe this at first, but after a moment, he nodded, letting a small smile touch his lips.

"I'll leave you alone with her then," he said after another moment, glancing towards Mel's peacefully sleeping form. "Make sure you get some rest as well…" he added, pointedly.

"I will," Harry laughed quietly, and saying goodnight to his godfather, before the older wizard made his way silently back across the hospital wing.

Glancing away, Harry brought his gaze back to Mel, before looking around for a window. He wasn't surprised to see the sun was starting to rise now…and surprisingly, that was what it took for him to feel the tiredness set in. Pushing himself out of the comfortable seat, Harry crossed to the nearest bed just a few feet away, before climbing upon it slowly, feeling his eyes begin to droop as he rested against the soft pillow. Better to rest while everyone else is…because there was more than likely going to be a busy few weeks...months…ahead of him, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure everything turned out alright…no matter what.

Time can pass quickly when there's much to be done.

"Mel, come on, we have to go!" Harry called out for the fourteenth time…he was counting.

"I'm coming!" came her rushed reply, also, for the fourteenth time. Harry shook his head in good-natured exasperation…Mel was never on time. Sitting back down on the soft couch in their apartment and looking down to his left, Harry smiled widely as his beautiful one-month-old daughter goggled up at him with her large green eyes from where she was laying in a bouncy chair.

"Never take after your mother Olivia, please," he said quietly, leaning over as he reached out towards her tiny hands. She squealed happily, she loved the sound of his voice…before going back to making the tiniest little gurgling noises, as she gripped tightly to one of his enormous fingers. "I don't know if I could take having to always wait for the both of you…"

"This apartment isn't that big you know," Mel's voice floated out from the bedroom. I can hear you…"

"Well he's going to give up waiting if we don't get going soon," Harry called back, teasingly.

"Alright, just five more minutes, I promise," Mel called back, and Harry caught a blur of movement as she emerged from the bedroom, and made directly for the bathroom.

"Five more minutes…hopefully we're out of here in half an hour," Harry said to himself, looking back down as he felt something wet and gooey on his finger, and finding his daughter had decided to taste it…or rather, was trying to drink it…as she sucked determinedly on it…

"Sorry baby girl," Harry cooed, "Nothing in there for you," he continued, reaching down with one of his free fingers and tickling just under her chubby chin. She immediately ducked her head to block him, gurgling up spit all over her light violet jumper, and letting go of his finger as a large smile spread across her face…and Harry's heart swelled. He beamed down at her…loving her so fiercely and wonderfully…he wanted to give her everything…and felt nothing but grateful every day of his life, that she was here with him now…and that he was alive to see her…

After the battle with Jared so many months back, and a lot of explaining all around to make sure everyone knew what exactly had happened on that night, there had been several months of clean-up.

The vrid had been more than enough to use against Thurston, and he had been arrested immediately. Being a man who could not brag about his bravery or courage, it was easy enough to make him give the names of those who had been working with him…and they were arrested as well.

Azkaban was filling quickly, as death eaters were tracked down by Aurors and the disloyal ministry members were sought out…and Dumbledore would no longer stand for the dementors as the guards of anything. They were banished from all populated areas of the wizarding world…leaving them forests and mountains to live in. If they should come back at any point, they would be executed.

Sirius and Marzia, along with several other ministers, had helped with hiring and training new guards for the prisons over the course of the summer. By the time the fall came around again, both Azkaban and Nabakza were considered quite secure.

Oren and Lilith were handled quite differently from the other prisoners, however, and were locked under the tightest security available, until their fates could be decided…though it seemed a long way off… Oren barely spoke…if he did, it had to be forced out of him…and Lilith, it seemed, had forgotten how. She would babble, incoherently, every so often…but normal speech seemed beyond her reach at this point, and Harry knew exactly why.

Another low point came when it was time for Draco's funeral. Harry and his friends all attended, of course…but besides a few ministers, that was all. Even his mother, Narcissa, was nowhere to be found, and Harry began to understand a bit more about what reason Draco had had, for doing what he did…and felt horribly for him…

The only thing that remained unresolved, was Wormtail…again, it appeared, he had gotten away…but this time, there was no one who he could turn to. Jared was gone, Adrik was gone, every convicted death eater was in prison…and Voldemort…  
Dumbledore had taken Tom Riddle…to live with him. He refused to make the same mistake, of letting the young boy grow up in an orphanage, and wanted to watch over him personally…there was a chance for him this time…a fresh start…

Tom, for his part, seemed a bit confused…but put up no argument about living with the head minister…his memory reached up until he had received a letter of acceptance to Hogwarts…and simply assumed this was part of that… Harry didn't see him much yet though…not caring to spend much time around the boy…though he realized that soon, he would see him everyday…

Halfway through the summer, Harry had decided to stay on at Hogwarts. He wanted to play Quidditch…quite badly, in fact…but this seemed more important to him, now. Hadley's parents were appalled over what had happened, but after a long talk with Dumbledore and Minerva, a talk which neither of them would speak about with Harry…or anyone else…they had agreed not to pull Hadley out of the school…and Harry wanted to be there for her. He wanted to help her learn more about her power…and to keep a close eye on both her and Tom…

In August, Harry and Mel had finally decided to get an apartment…it was nearing the time that the baby would be born, and they wanted a place of their own before that happened, so when Ron and Hermione told them of an apartment for rent in their neighborhood, the young couple jumped at the chance. Harry had spoken with Minerva as well on the matter…professors were supposed to remain at the school during the school year, but due to the fact that he had a newborn on the way, and since Hogsmeade was so close to Hogwarts, Minerva happily allowed Harry to live at home while school was in session.

The summer ended, and classes began again, but Harry wasn't so nervous this time around, and felt much more comfortable in front of his students. He and Snape got on no better than they had before…and that was about the only constant. Snape never mentioned the talk he and Harry had had regarding the crystals again…and Harry never brought it up. It was a silent agreement on both parts, never to be spoken of again. Troy had left, but not to return to the cult, he simply didn't feel he could work at the school any longer, though he was replaced by a young woman by the name of Dominique Wayland…and Harry got along with her from the start…

By this time, both Mel's and Marzia's stomachs had reached a point that Harry felt had to be as big as they were going to get…though he knew he was going to miss this later on… He loved to rest his head every so slightly against Mel's stomach…and would feel shivers up his spine whenever the baby would kick…

Olivia Gail Potter was born on October 2nd…just three days before Marzia gave birth…to a gorgeous baby boy, with red hair and blue eyes. Remus James Black. Harry had never enjoyed his time spent in a hospital so much…but it was after they brought the baby home, that Harry finally got out the ring Sirius had give him…his mother's ring. He had wanted to take her out…maybe dinner, a walk in the park…but somehow, as they stood, in nightclothes, for a few precious moments while their beautiful baby girl slept soundly in her crib, Harry decided that was the time to do it.

He sat on the couch beside Mel, pulling her close to him as she smiled tiredly into his eyes, and silently slipped it on her finger. As she saw the gorgeous stone, catching sparkling glints of light in its cut…she looked back up, and he leant forward, kissing her deeply, and passionately. Neither one had spoken a word…

Now it was November, the wedding was still a few months away…they'd decided on having it in March…for the beginning of Spring…but before that would happen, there was something that needed to be done…

"Over here," Harry said quickly, taking one of Mel's hands in his while the other held tightly to the baby seat in which Olivia sat. She was sucking away on one of the ears of her favorite stuffed animal…a small white puppy with a green collar, as her parents made their way down a small path in a scarcely wooded area…coming to a stop when they reached the end. It was very quiet…they were standing in a picnic area, a short distance away from a playground, but nobody else was around from what Harry could see…

"Shouldn't he be here by now?" Mel asked anxiously, as she and Harry took a seat at the nearest table, setting Olivia's chair on the surface gently, before Harry easily unbuckled the straps, and lifted her out. "Are you sure this is the right place?" she continued.

"This is where he said to meet….and hey, if you hadn't made us late…" Harry stated, teasingly, cradling the tiny figure in his arms, as she dribbled all down her shirt. Mel immediately grabbed for one of the bibs to wipe it, when her eyes went wide. Harry glanced around over his shoulder, to see the person they'd been waiting for.

"Jack!" Mel cried happily, practically leaping up from her seat and crossing the distance to where her brother stood. As she reached him, she flung her arms happily around his neck and he hugged her back, tightly.

"You…you look great…" Mel said, with tears in her eyes, smiling up at her older brother.

"And you were late again, I see," Jack laughed, light shadows swirling around him as he spoke. Harry had been able to contact Jack through Troy…who wasn't exactly eager to help, but agreed for just this once.

Even with everything working out as it had, Harry knew Mel still missed her brother terribly…but also knew they would never be welcomed guests in the shadow world. So the only way to do it, was to have Jack come to them, and he had gladly agreed…telling them to meet in this particular park…that was rarely used any more…

"Hello Harry," Jack grinned as he and his sister reached the table where he sat.

"Good to see you again, Jack," Harry grinned, dimly remembering that Jack couldn't say the same thing…the Shadow Walkers went by scent…not sight… The only thing Jack could see right now, was their shadows.

Nevertheless, Harry wanted this visit to go well…he wanted Mel to spend time with her brother…and he wanted Jack to meet his niece…though he seemed almost saddened by Olivia…and gave her back to Harry rather quickly.

As it was somewhat chilly out, Harry and Mel couldn't stay long…not wanting Olivia to catch a cold, so Harry waited at the table with his daughter, cooing and playing with her...making her smile...he loved to make her smile. Sometimes all it took was his voice, and she just lit up…something Mel was a bit jealous of, though he would never point that out to her…

Jack and Mel took a walk…having more to talk about then could ever be taken care of in such a short time…and Mel looked as if she'd been crying by the time they returned.

"Everything alright?" Harry whispered concernedly when Mel took her seat beside him, and held her arms out for the baby.

"Fine," she replied a little too quickly. "We should go…it's too cold out here for her…

Harry glanced over his shoulder to see Jack waiting…probably hearing their conversation, but staying back as they spoke.

"Just give me a few minutes, alright?" Harry asked, quickly, standing from his chair as Mel nodded and heading towards Jack…

"Can we walk?" he asked quietly, starting forward as Jack nodded.

"She's mad at me," Jack said after a moment, when they were away from the bench. "I guess this wasn't such a good idea…"

"No, she needed to see you," Harry said quickly. "It would be nice if she could more often…"

"I can't," Jack shrugged quietly, almost helplessly. "They don't like us to come up here often…"

"I know," Harry nodded.

For a moment, the two remained silent, making their way slowly around the path which would eventually lead back to the tables…

"You're stronger now, aren't you?" Jack asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well…I can feel it…even though I didn't have the powers I have now the last time we spoke…I can feel a change…" he paused, before rushing on quickly. "Are you still a werewolf?"

Sighing quietly, Harry nodded glumly.

"Unfortunately."

It had been the only thing he couldn't do, it seemed…for some reason, with all of his newly acquired power, he couldn't find a way to get rid of this curse…and had spent three nights of every month alone… However, this past month had been the hardest he couldn't stand not being able to listen for his daughter to go to her if she cried.

"Will you let me help you?" Jack asked quietly.

Harry hesitated, looking at him questioningly.

"How?"

Jared simply held out his left hand, and after a moment Harry took it… Suddenly a fierce pull seemed to tug at his insides, and Harry clenched his teeth, having to use all of his strength just to keep the stones from reacting for him…

Jared let go abruptly then…and Harry staggered back a step…

"What…what did you do?" Harry asked, almost breathlessly…

"What you couldn't," Troy replied, grinning through the shadows, and Harry stared up at him in disbelief…

"You mean…"

"Remember when Castor changed you back, Harry? The night of the full moon…?"

Harry nodded slowly.

"I did the same thing he did…but this time it's permanent…you're cured…"

Harry was silent for a long moment, before finding finally finding his voice again…

"Jack…I don't know what to say…" he began, then quickly rushed on. "Thank you…I…I mean…" he trailed off, almost dizzy with the feeling. He'd immediately reached into himself with his mind…and couldn't' sense it anymore…the werewolf curse was gone…as if it had been erased…

"Just take care of my sister, alright?" Jack said, smirking, a look of sadness coming into his eyes. "And my niece…" he trailed off, taking a step back.

"Wait!" Harry said at once, glancing up the trail, seeing Mel looking for him. "Do you want to see your Olivia? I mean see her…with your own eyes?"

"You know I can't," Jack replied quietly. "Not while I'm a Shadow Walker…and if I turn back…"

"You said you wouldn't accept help that you didn't feel you deserved right?" Harry asked. "You wouldn't accept help from a wizard because you could never repay the debt…"

"Well I couldn't have," Jack shrugged. "What could I offer to someone who can do anything with a wave of their wand?"

"Look what you just did for me," Harry pointed out.

"That's different," Jack began, "I did that for my sister…"

Harry looked at him for a moment, before doing the exact same thing Jack had done only moments ago, and extended his left hand.

"That's who I'd be doing it for as well," Harry stated evenly.

Jack looked at him hesitantly, skeptically…

"I would still be a Shadow Walker if you took it away you know…the cancer…"

"I'm not saying you have to leave them," Harry said quietly. "But at least this way…if you ever wanted to…you would have the option…"

It seemed like ages passed in the few minutes that actually ticked by…but finally, Jack extended his hand…

"All set?" Mel asked with a small smile as Harry returned to the table. "Where's Jack?" she asked quickly, glancing over Harry's shoulder.

"He had to leave," Harry said gently, easily lifting Olivia from her arms and placing her back into the seat. Mel nodded faintly, looking almost sad…and in that moment, Harry was tempted to tell her what had just happened…but Jack has made him promise not to tell…he would do that, when he was ready…

They made their way slowly back up the path…and Harry slipped his arm around Mel's waist. Things were so different now…he wasn't running from someone…he didn't need to hide away…and he lived with a family who he loved and cherished. It wasn't just a new start…it was a new life…without fear or pain…or death… For the first time in a long time, he could look forward to tomorrow and not worry about what it would bring…

**A/N – Thanx to anyone who's read all of these and to everyone who left a review, no matter if you loved it or hated it. I know the ending of this particular story was rushed, and I apologize for that, at the time I was writing it I really had too much going on to give it a proper ending, but I'm leaving it as is. Hope you enjoyed the stories and thank you all again!**


End file.
